CIHM 
Microfiche 
Series 
(Monographs) 


ICMH 

Collection  de 
microfichef: 
(monographies) 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historica;  Mkroreproductions  /  institut  canadien  de  microreproductions  historiques 


I 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes  /  Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best  original 
copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this  copy  which 
may  be  bibliographically  unique,  wh'oh  may  alter  any  of 
the  images  in  the  reproduct'on,  or  which  may 
significantly  change  the  usual  iiiemod  oi  filming  are 
checked  below. 


D 


□ 


D 


0 


□ 


D 


Coloured  covers  / 
Couverture  I'e  couleur 


□    Covers  damaged  / 
Couverlure  endommagee 

□    Covers  re 
Couvertu 

Cover  title  missing  /  Le  titre  de  couverlure  manque 

I I    Coloured  maps  /  Cartes  geographiques  en  couleur 


restored  and/or  laminated  / 
re  restauree  el'ou  pelliculee 


Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)  / 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


I      I    Coloured  plates  ancj/or  illustrations  / 


Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material  / 
Relie  avec  d'autres  documents 

Only  edition  available  / 
Seule  edition  disponible 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion  along 
interior  margin  /  La  reliure  serree  peut  causer  de 
I'ombre  ou  de  la  distorsicn  le  long  de  la  marge 
interieure. 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restorations  may  appear 
within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these  have  been 
omitted  from  filming  /  II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages 
blanches  ajoutees  lors  d'jne  restauration 
apparaissent  dans  le  texte,  mais,  lorsque  cela  eiait 
possible,  ces  pages  n'ont  pas  ete  filmees. 

Additional  comments  / 
Commentaires  supplementaires: 


L'Institut  a  microfilme  le  meilleur  exemplaire  qu'il  lui  a 
ete  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details  de  cet  exem- 
plaire qui  sont  peut-etre  uniques  du  point  de  vue  bibli- 
ographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier  une  image  reproduite, 
ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une  modification  dans  la  metho- 
de  normale  de  filmage  sont  indiques  oi-dessous. 

I  Colou  ed  pages  /  Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged  /  Pages  endommagees 


Pages  restored  and'or  laminated  / 
ages  restaurees  et/ou  pciliculees 


D^ 


r~l    Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed  / 
!    *^\    Pages  decolorees,  tachetees  ou  piquees 

Pages  detached  /  Pages  detachees 

,      Showthrough /Transparence 

I      1    Quality  of  print  varies  / 


n 


Qualite  inegaie  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  material  / 
Comprend  du  materiel  supplementaire 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata  slips, 
tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to  encure  the  best 
possible  image  /  Les  pages  totalement  ou 
partiellement  obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une 
pelure,  etc.,  ont  ete  filmees  a  nouveau  de  fagon  a 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 

Opposing  pages  with  varying  colouration  or 
discolourations  are  filmed  twice  to  ensure  the  best 
possible  image  /  Les  pages  s'opposant  ayant  des 
colorations  variables  ou  des  decolorations  sont 
filmees  deux  fois  afin  d'obtemr  la  meilleure  image 
possible. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  -hecked  below  / 

Ce  document  est  lilme  au  laux  de  reduction  indique  ci-dessous. 


10x 

14x 

18x 

22x 

26x 

30x 

1 

12x 


16x 


20x 


24x 


28x 


32x 


The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

National    Library  of  Canada 


1  exemplaire  fllm^  fut  reproduit  grace  i  la 
g^n^rositd  de: 

Bibliothequc   nationalc  du  Canada 


The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  end  legibiliry 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Les  images  suivantes  ont  iti  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin.  compte  ten'    de  la  condition  et 
de  la  neietd  de  I'exemplaire  filmi,  e'  en 
conformit*  avec  les  conditions  du  coi"  at  de 
filmage. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  tha 
.'irst  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  rouverture  en 
papier  est  imprimie  sont  filn6s  en  commencant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
deiniire  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration.  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  selon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  film^s  en  commenpant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  derniire  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  — ^  (meaning    "COrj- 
TINUED"),  or  the  symbol  V  (meaning    ■END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
derniAre  image  de  chaque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole       »    signifie  "A  SUIVRE".  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN  ". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method; 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc..  peuvent  etre 
filmis  i  des  taux  de  reduction  diff^rents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  etre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clich6,  il  est  film6  A  partir 
de  Tangle  supirieur  gauche,  de  gauche  h  droite. 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  n6cessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mdthode. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

MICROCOPr    RESOtUriON    TEST    CHART 
ANSI  and  ISO  TEST  CHART  No    2i 


1.0 


I.I 


1.25 


•-       140 


1.4 


III  2.5 

l|2.2 

2.0 
1.8 


1.6 


M  APPLIED  IM^GE     Inc 

r\^  ^este',  New  rorh    '  ^f.i'VJ    i'.a 

■^  o)  482  -  0300  -  Ph  '- 

^  '6)  288-  5989  -  Fo. 


IN   THK   FOOTSTEPS   OP^   NAPOLEON: 
HIS  LIFE  AND  ITS  FAMOUS  SCENES 


THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

NEW  YORK    •    IldSTDS    •    CHICACl   •    DALLAS 
ATLANTA    •    bAN    FRANXi-CcJ 

MACMILLAN  &  CO.,  Limited 

LONUON    •    PCIMIIAY    •    CALCUTTA 
MELBUUKNK 

THE  MACMILLAN  CO.  OF  CANADA,  Ltd. 
TORONTO 


NaI'.iI.ION     as     Ci.M.UAI.  l.NClllKr    1)1-      IIIK     AUMY     t)b      IlAi.Y,     liV    (i.     I.F\  V 


r-'^  K^C 


IN  THE 

FOOTSTEPS  OF 

NAPOLEON 

HIS  LIFK  AND 
ITS  FAMOLS  SCENES 


BY 

lAMKS  MORGAN 

AlTtlOK  OF  ■  AUK AIIAM  LINroi.V    TKK 
BOV  AM)  IIIK  MAN."  K TC. 


ILLUSTRATED 


"Mew  l^orf? 

TIIK  iMACMILLAN  COMPANY 
1915 

All  rights  reservtd 


JjCifci 


'At' 


rtirTRi'iiT.  ton  4NI)  lots 
llv  .lAMKS  MOlKiAN 


('(.I'vmc.nT,   l'tl.'> 

Bt  thk  ma(  mii.i.an  company 

Set  up  and  fl.ctrotj  pcd.      Published.  ScplembiT,   191,5 


To  the 
Diiir    .\liiii..r\    of   ,1    I'ri.Tid, 

i;i)\V  AIM)  i  |{  A\(  IS  lUlt.VS. 
I''. II    l!IU. 

wliii  ]irii[i(i-,<'(|  tii\   jinirncv 
in  tliL'  patli  of  XaixjlciMi 


THE  AFTIIOrrS  FOREWORD 


M 


r.cforc  writin<,'  tliis  l)iograi)li\  of  Xapolcoii,  1  iiiadi'  a  jour- 
nt .  of  nearly  twenty  thousand  inile.s  to  tlie  fainous  sccucs  in  his 
lilV  and  alon<,'  the  line  of  hi.s  CL'h'hrated  niarehes.  The  drama 
(if  history  is  as  tuuch  "ntitlod  to  its  proijcr  stage  setting  as  the 
phiy>  of  the  theatre,  and  my  aim  has  been  to  see  ami  Dortray 
till'  i.ian  in  his  varuius  backgrounds,  to  l)ring  eloser  his  habita- 
tions and  battlefields,  to  simplify  the  geography  of  his  eam- 
liaiu'ns. 

It  ehaneed  that  on  the  eve  of  the  ^Var  of  the  Nations,  my 
erraml  took  me  from  Corsica  through  France  and  Italy  to 
ivL'vp'i,  the  Holy  Land,  and  Syria;  over  the  Alps  and  through 
Austria,  (iei'many,  and  Poland  into  Russia,  and  finally  to 
Elba  .'lid  Waterloo.  The  Russians  ami  (iermans  had  only 
lately  commemorated  their  liberation  from  Napoleon's  empire, 
and  the  Mi'itish  and  other  peoples  were  preparing  to  celebrate 
the  ei-nternial  of  his  final  overthrow  at  Waterloo,  when  an- 
othei'  great  European  war  suddenly  burst  upon  the  same  fields 
where  the  same  powers  had  struL'gled  foi'  mastery  100  years 
before. 

The  Var  of  the  Nations  is  the  traLric  se(iucl   of  the  Na- 

[loleoiuc  wars.     Some  of  the  parties  may  have  changed  sides 

for  tht>  moment:  but  in  their  motives  and  their  strategy,  the 

two  wars  are  strangely  alike,  and  I  have  depicted  the  earlier 

;is  the  u,rerutuier  of  this  later  conflict. 

-^      The  eentt'iiary  of  N;'.i)oleoirs  downfall,  moreover,  seems  to 

otl'er  an  appropriate  occasion  for  tilling  again  the  story  tiiat 

iie\,.r  grows  old,  and  for  telling  it   in  the  light  of  our  own 

tiiiies.     An  effort  has  been  made,  therefore,  to  find  in  his  rise 

land  fall  something  more  than  the  miraculous  vicissit\ides  of 

I  a  legendary  superman,  or  the  meaningless  sport  of  blind  for- 

■"tune.     1  have  tried  to  present   him  simply  as  a  man  of  the 


TTIH  ATTIIOR-R  FOREWORD 

people  wl.o.  in  a  perio.l  of  ehaos.  ^vas  mWM  out  of  Ihe  erow.l 
to  en.lMHlv  au.l  vi.ulieate  tlie  rare  of  .•onunou  >neu  aixainst  the 
pnv.le.'.Ml  frNV.  to  swrrp  awav  a.u-ir.it  systems  an^  wron-s, 
:„Hl  as  111.'  iiiearuation  of  the  (ireat  Revolution,  to  he  en- 
„,,,;„,,!  ,,,„ve  u.oua.vhs  of  lon^^  .h'se.nt.  In  short  1  have 
ivprcsented  liini  as  the  servant  of  a  nuu'hty  powr  not  ot  him- 
self 

that  o'er  him   planned 

and  whieli.  ^vith  the  pitiiessness  of  nature,  cast  him  iuuiy 
when.  hlin.led  hy  p.Tsotu,!  anil.ition.  he  was  no  lon-er  faith  ul 
ami  useful  to  its  purpose.  Tins  is  tlie  Napoleon  who,  attei 
the  lapse  of  a  eentury.  retains  his  ,lo,nin,on  over  the  nna-ma- 
tion  of  the  Avorl.i,  supreme  in  th.'  admiration  ami  the  disap- 
pointment, in  the  ai'plause  and  reproaeh  ol  m.'n. 


Sinee  mv  wife  shared  my  travels  and  my  labours  in  the 
,,,,,,„,„io„  of  this  volum..,  I  hope  1  may  h.  permitted  ^'rate- 
fuUv  t<i  acknowledgi'  le'r  joint  authorship. 


CONTEXTS 


(  llAl'Ti:!! 

I  TSiRTn    AM)    FSiirriiri.AfK     . 

1 1  Si  ll(l(l|.I)A^  s     i.\      1''i;a.\<  K  . 

II I  liKi'din:  TiiK  Dawn-     .     . 

1  \'  Tin:  .Man-  ox   IIoi.'skiiack   . 

V  A     L(i\K    St(iI;v        .... 

\'I  'I'm;    LiTTLi;    ('(lui'dHAi, 

^  II  In  TiiK  CocKi'iT  <iK  Kri,'(ii'F. 

^'HI  CoNi^rKiMXi;  Acstkia    . 

l.\  Xatkins  at  TiiF,  Fkkt  of  a  Yi 

\  TiiK   Dksi  '.ST  riMix    Ei;vi'T 

XI  Tin;    I'.ATTl.K    OF    TIIK    I'VI.'AMID 

XI I  Into  tiif  lloi.v  Land  . 

XIII  His    Fikst   Hktuk.vt      . 

XI\'  lilLKi;    OF    FlIAXCK      . 

XV  ('i;oss!\r,  thk  Alps 

XVI  Mai;fn(;o  Lost  ank  Won 

XXU  Tin;  I>\\v  (iivKH       .      . 

X\III  SFi.r.iNi;   Louisiana 

XIX  A  I)Av  at  :\Ial.maisox  . 

XX  IIow  Tin:  K'KPnii.ic  Diep 

X.XI  TwiCK  Crown KD 

XX  If  fuK    rNCOXQlFRFI'    SfA 

XX  III  Tiu:  Fall  of  Viknna  . 

XXIV  TlIF.   Sln  of  ArsTKKLITZ 

XX\'  Tin-:  ^Lvtciimaker   . 

XX  \r  TllF,    KlXOMAKER       .        . 

XXVir  Thi    inx(;  Prussia  . 

XXVIII  KVLAL    and    FlULDLAND 

XXIX  At  Tilsit  .... 


CTl 


PAGE 

;{ 

13 
22 
31 

39, 
4() 
02 
(ill 

73 

SL' 

91 

100 

110 

lis 

127 
135 

143 
147 
150 

1(17 
17,S 
184 
193 

20(i 

m:; 

L'lS 
22(1 
23.S 


COXTKNTS 


rirAPTKij 

XXX  Nai'olkox's  Makshals 

XXXI  ViCTOIUKS  OK   1'kack        .      . 

XXXII  FoimNK  Ti  HNS       ,     .     . 

XXXI 1 1  His  Lasp  \h  toky   .      .      . 

XXXI\'  'I'HK    I'MONyLKIihl)    Sr.x 

XXXV  TlIK     I)lV()R(K         .... 

XXX\'l  Tin.  SKCdxh  MAijiiiACFi 

.\XX\'II  Tin;  Ki.V(;  nv  Home 

XXXVIII  A  Would  at  War  .      .      . 

XXXIX  ()\  TO  Moscow  .... 

XL  TiiK  ToiK  :i   That  Firkk  thk 

XLl  Thk  Okkat  TKAdKnv 

XLII  Thk  Risixt;  of  thk  Pkoi'lks 

XLIII  Thk  Battle  of  thk  Nations 

XLIV  At  Bav 

XLV  The  First  Ai'.dication' 

XLVI  Empkko.:  of  Elda    . 

XIA'II  Thk  Rktcrx  from  Elba     . 

XIA'III  Thk   lIr\nRED  Days     .     . 

XLIX  Waterloo 

L  The  Capti^-e  Eagle 

LI  St.    IIklkxa 

LII  L'AniLox  axi>  the  Boxapartk 

LI  II  Across  a  ('e-TCRY   .... 

('HK(n-OLor,v  '•-  Napoleox's  Lifk 

IXDKK  


WOKI 


PAGE 

247 


L'(;4 
272 
2S2 
2!  12 
iiOl 

;iii) 

320 

:i2i» 

350 
3(il 

;!()() 

3S2 

:}92 

402 
4L'3 
425 
4.13 
44S 
45S 
47,3 
4S5 
495 
505 


I 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Xapcilt'cii,   as   Geueral-in-L'hief   of   the    Aiiuy   of    Italy,    by    G. 

^'^^ Fruntispiece 

FACINU 
i'AOL 

.Napuleons  Mother  and  his  Ri/'thplace tj 

Statue  of   Napoleon,   the   Sdioolboy,   and   the   Gate   of  his   old 

School  at  Hrieiine  le  Ciiateau 1(3 

An  Karly  Portrait  of  Nai)oleou.  by  Bailly ;J4 

.'osephine,  by  i'nid'hon 4q 

The  Little  Corporal  at  the  Hri(l,<:e  of  Lodi,  and  With  Josephine 

at  a  Fete  in  Milan (J2 

At  liie  Fete  of  Mahomet  in  Cairo 84 

In  the  Saddle,  by  HeUauLre II4 

Weleoined  by  the  Y     ks  of  St.  Bernard 120 

Napnh.on  with  his  nei)he\vs  and  nieecs.  by  Ducis I44 

Najii.kdn  Crownin;,'  ,Jose{)hine,  by   David 170 

Tlie  Kiiiperor  in  tiie  Midst  ,,f  his  New  Aristocracy     ....  ISO 

At  Ansterlitz.  by  Gerard I93 

The   Ktnperor  and   Knip-ress  at   tlie   Marria-e  of  .Jerome  Bona- 
parte to  the  Princess  Catherine,  by  Rei.-'nault 208 

riiiiies  nf  tii(.  Xew   ImiH'riai   F'aiinly 014 

The    Conqueror,    by    Meissonier.    with    his    Hat    and    his    Camj. 

Washstand oon 


^ 


LIST  OF  ILLISTKATIUNS 


FACIN'O 


in-   nil    the    Wall    at    'I'll-H.   ;"  ''    Na|.ulr..i 

Lduisc  (if  l'ni->ia 

SdiiH'  Portraits  cL'  llu'  l':inp«'i'a-  .... 
Soiiio  Napnlcdiiic  Aiit"-iapli>  .... 
W.inicii  "1  ihc  liiipriial  Kanuly  .... 
The  Divnivr  nf  .IiiM'] iliiiic  I'v  Sartaiii  .  . 
yhnv  Lnia-r  aiHl  \hv  Kniu  oi  Umnr.  l.y  Geian 
Napoleon  aii.l  lii>  Sn.i.  hy  StciiluMi  .  . 
'•Hail   Nrws   Iroui    Fraiicr."   hy    Verfstc-liauiu 

III   Hctrcal 

The  A. lira  \n  ilif  C.iianl   at    Fnntaiiwbli'au 
The  Fall. Ml  Monan-li.  and  la>  Flhan  Kdivat 

WalcrliKi.   hy    Stciihiii 

On   the   UclU'ruplinn.   hy    Orclianls..n      .      . 

Lon-wdod.  ana  tlii>  Naincli'ss  (iravr  at   St.   11 

The   I-aM    Days  nf  Naiiolfoii.  hy   Vrla.  and  tlu'  ('ami 

whicli  111'  dii'd 

Two  y..rtrails  of  Napolonn  at  St.  llck'iia   .... 
Tlu'  IJ  iLl  dus  Invalided  at  Paris,  and  the  Tonih  oil  N 


the   Fast    Meet- 
(irciuni,'   (ihiei-n 


.    'J")4 

.  -jsi; 

.    2!  Hi 

.  :n4 

.  :i4'j 

.  :'M 

.  :i!iti 

.   41  »f! 
.   440 

.  4:)2 

.   4(12 
(111 


.   4t)S 
.   47S 
lok'oii    .   4SS 


1 


IN   THE  FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLEON: 
HIS  LIFE  AND   ITS   FAMOUS  SCENES 


OD 


IN  THE  FOOTSTEPS  OF 
NAPOLEON 


CFIAI^TKIi  I 

BIRTH  AM)  l!IirrilPr.ACR 

HOItV    Al  CrsT    1-,.    IT,;;) 

T'lK  stnmixo.  ..ventful  instnry  of  X.pol.on.  th.  strnn....st 

Cursi.-a  '"'"""•    ^^'t-«'-tl'^'-worl(l    ,.a,,ital    of 

N^-ilin.^  out  of  tl...  M...]if,.rran..aM  into  the  Hav  of  .\r....io 

;L  ■  '  "*  •'  ^'"V"'''-  '-^  '■'"•i'aiiU.d  by  a  s.-cn.  of  hrautv  prol, 
01  the  rirf,,  .■„';,,:,"...".,"":'""■  -^"I""-™-     Tl,r,v  stroots 


•J  u.  1  I  U  V\  , 


almost  simk'ss  Kue  St. 


4  IN  iiii;  i'n(»rsri;i's  ui'-  nai'oli.dn 

( 'lijirlcs,  mill  tliccc  ;it  tlic  cud  of  tin'  (ii>t  liloik  stiunls  n  four 

stdl'V,  si|Uiil-i'  ^tdlic  lli)l|-i'  ;i|  ihr  ('(iCihl'  1 1  f  ;i  still  till  ri'nw  c'l' 
Stri'rt.  .\liu\r  tlir  iludl'  lllfl'(  1>  a  IIMl'lilr  l.lhli'l  With  tills  111- 
hrnptioil    ill    l'"rrllr||  ; 

Xripolcon 

Wils   lin|-||    III    this   lioilsc 

Au'-'iisl   l."i,  IT(il) 


¥ 


On  that  Aiiiriist  l-")tli.  till'  l-'ra-t  df  the  Assiiiiifitioii,  cvci'  tlu' 
LTralc'st  (lav  in  the  nliui'iiis  i-alrinjar  Ini'  tin'  ( 'm-siraiis,  was 
lifill^'  ci'ltlilatrd  ill  A.iarrid.  'I'll!'  little  touii  had  udvrii  itsrjl' 
over  t(i  the  holiday  and  thi'  coiintiy  iicnplr  had  been  swai'iiiiiitj 
ill  a  t'ndt  and  dii  nnilc  hark  siiici'  early  Midi-iiiiii:.  The  hells  wefe 
I'iiiuiiiir,  the  houses  were  L;f(  ell  with  hdii'.dis  and  the  eathedral 
altar  was  ahhwuii  with  wild  flowers  I'roiii  the  iiionntaiii  side. 

In  the  middle  of  the  t'dfiiiodn  the  iieaiitil'iil  ydUiiLT  Siiinoi-a 
Uoiiapaite — a  jrifl  of  iiiiieleeii — leadinj,''  iiv  the  liaiid  her  si.\- 
ytar-dld  liaH'-lirdtliei-,  .|dse|i|i  I-'esdi,  ainl  t'ollowed  hy  her  1ms- 
liand's  iiiiele.  Luriano,  and  hei'  hii^hand's  si^ter-iiidaw.  (ie|- 
Iriida  I'aravaeini,  came  dut  of  t  lat  I'ldnt  door  over  which  tlic 
talilet  now  rests  and  made  her  way  down  the  slnct  two  blocks 
to  the  cathedral.  While  she  was  amonir  the  kneelin<,'  wov- 
shippers  at  the  mass,  she  receisi-d  the  painful  warnines  of 
inaterJiity.  (_'alliii'_'  for  the  aid  of  liei-  conipauion,  she  was 
nssisti'd  to  her  feet  an<l  led  out  of  the  crowded  church  to  her 
home.  There  she  sank  U]>oii  a  sofa  and,  at  eleven  o'clock  in 
till'  nidrnintr.  .Xaiioleon  entered  tlie  world. 

No  physician  had  been  sumiiioiied.  No  iiiidwit'e  was  in  at- 
teiulance.  and  that  ot'lii-e  was  fiiltilled  by  Simuu'a  I'aravaciiii, 
aided  by  the  maid  of  all  work.  .Maiiiiiiiicia  Caterina.  foi'  his- 
tory has  tri'asiired  all  this  time  every  name  ooniicctcd  with  tln' 
opening  scene  in  the  ixreat  drama. 

Tlicrc  was.  moreover,  a  stirrinjx  prolotnic  to  this  drama  some 
fifty  miles  away  in  the  wild  heart  of  the  then  lialf-barliarons 
island,  and  th.'  sa\aue  ('nrsir.in  mountains  are  the  lii>t  back- 
tironnd  in  the  life  of  Xapoleon.  His  prenatal  envirdiiiiient 
appropriately  was  a  scene  df  war.  crowded  with  movinti'  acci- 
.i.i.it^-   !,>•   ih.n,]    -iM.l    i;..i/l       i.\.P    c,^!.)  V   1..,,...   .>    ....;,..:<;,.,,   .,.,.1 


I 


i'.IKTII  A\|)   I'.liniin.ACK  5 

lilMTty  levirii:  [.copl,.,  only  Kid.duo  j,,  ,,l|,  it;,!,,,,,  i„  ,,„,  ,i,  ,,,„, 
by  triHliiKm  hiit  ( ■nrsiciiiis  j,t  I,,, ,11.  |,;„|  l,,.,,,  >tni.nr|,,|„  f,,,. 

th-iriM,|,.,„I„|r|,r,..  lirsf   ,l-„i„st    th^Tirl,    IV,„ll,|  i,.  ..l'  (  irriO.Mt  II,  I 

lit   l.ist    ;iL'.nnst    t!,..   ir,,,;,,    kin^olnin   of    Fnuu-..    \„    ul,,,.!,    ih,. 

<MH,„.S,.    IiimI    ,,i,\VIl,.,|    til.'    SOVrlviLriity    , ,  f    C,,,.!,;,,    with     it>    IcsS 

'li;iM4(M)()s.|ii;nvi,iil,.sur\vil.l  in. •Ill, tains  i.iHl  rnnirul  v,ill..ys 

A.j.ir.'in  li.ihi,.  a  s..a|u.rt.  tl,..  K,vn,-h  inva.l.T  ha. I  iva."lily 
'■''l'"""l  't.  aii.l  th..  patri.iti.-  I?..na|.art.s.  n,,.,,  an.l  u-..ia..n 
i"i."Hirr,  tl..,l  tlic  t.ivvM  t..  join  ih-  patri.,t  anav,  whcv  Si-n.u'a 
i"'i'A].iiv\r  s  hushan.l  was  th.'  sr,.,vtarv  of  I'anli.  th,.  Corsi.-ati 
-";";■'■''-'"-'•'"'■'■•  -^  >'•"•  i'li.l  a  lialf  h,.|.Mv  th..  .lat..  on  th.- 
talil.t  th..  siirnora  ha. I  takvii  ....fii-..  in  an  ol.l  jious..  in  th..  litth- 
"""""■""  town  ..f  Coi-t...  th..n  th..  ..ai.ital,  wh..,-.-  slic  -av  hirth 
1"  ii  M.n.  Th..  hoiis..  stan.ls  to  this  .lay.  an.l  ins.TilM..!  ami, I  the 
niiiny  hatth-  s.^afs  „„  Its  walls  is  th..  annoiin....|n..nt  that  it  is 
11";  I'li-tlipla..,.  of  Kmir  .)os..ph  IJonapart..  of  Spain. 

'I'll'-  'H'xf  y,.ar,  wh.-n  th..  .{..spairinir  liaii.l  ..f  (•..i-si.'ans  was 
makin.4  Its  last  stand  hcfotv  tlir  ^.nins  of  l.o„is  XV,  th,.  hiav,- 
V'lm-  nioth.T  was  th..  .•oinpani.m  ..f  h..r  Imshan.l  in  tl„.  \\v\d 
"''""-  '"■'•  '"'•••^'  '"'y,  .loM.|.li.  in  on,,  arm,  sh..  .In.v.'  hrr 
^^'1,11,.  mnl..  with  h..r  !>....  han.l,  whil,-,  as  sh..  sai.l.  "un-lcr 
in.v  hrart  I  ..arn...!  my  Xapol,,,,,,  with  th..  sam,.  ..aim  phasure 
'I'.'f  I  I'll  att..rwanl  \vh,.n  I  h,.],!  l,im  i,,  „;v  arms  ami  f...l  him 
'•"  '".v  iH-.'ast.  ...  I  heard  tii..  halls  whistlin-  roiin.l  mv  ..ars 
wit  lout  a  shadow  of  f..af,  as  I  trust..d  to  th,.  i>r..t..,.tion"of  tli.^ 
I  Inly  \  ir<xin." 

<'ft,.nth.M'xp..('tant  mother  sl..pt  in  th..  ..p..,,  in  th,.  mi.lst  of 

""•  so l..,..rs.     On  th,.  lontr,  swift    march..s  up  and  down  and 

'"•"i"i(l  th..  ru<r^n..l  mountains  she  ro.U.  l.esi.l..  or  lu'liind  her 

iiisliaiid  an.l  som..tim..s  was  ohli^'ed  to  trudi:.'  afoot  with  tlio 

"""'■-1  army,   pursued   everywhere   by   overwiielmi.i<r   forces 

"  iH'Xt  th..  last  battle  she  was  pres..nt  on  the  fiel.l.  and  after 

""■  l"ial  enishui._'  d..f,'at  was  ainonc;  those  who  fled  from  the 

'•"'"I'l-THiu   Fr..n,.h  and  hid  in  the  fu-itiv-.s-  urotto,  whirl,  is 

^mi  shown  m  a  wilderness  of  granite  far  np  the  si.h'  of  Monte 

ivotomlo. 

^    Sum.,  thr,,.  hiindre.l  Corsicans,  who  were  d.'tennined  n.wer 
=  0  Wear  the  yok,-  of  iiie  i-n.neii.  gatliered  around  tlu'ir  (ieneral- 


6 


1\  TIIK  FOOTSTKI'S  OF  NAI'nLHOX 


iliiliirl'  ;iiii|  siiilrd  iiwiiy  (ill  ail  r\j|f  to  Fii^rlatid.  Siiriiora 
Hoiia|>ait('>  liu>liaii(l  \\a>  laL'ii-  t<i  |_'(i  willi  tlniti.  Iiiif  U<v  \\\r 
oli.ji  clioiis  (if  till'  will',  wlio  was  to  III'  a  iiiotlirr  a^aiii  in  three 
iiiiiiitiis.    Loiiiioii  atnl   not    A.jaeeio  woiiM   have  lieeii   the  hirlli- 

plaee  oi'  .\a|iiil((iii  aiiil  lie  vvdiijil  ha\e  I (line  |ie|-ha|is  a  I'.ntish 

soldier,  ^'il■ldlne■  to  her  eoiinsels,  the  hii^haiid  decided  to  re- 
main in  tlie  island  and  lie  took  the  lead  in  niakinj;  |)eace  witii 

the    Krelieh   colli  Ilia  lliief. 

The  snlijntratioii  of  Corsica  was  (■()iM[)lete — and  France  had 
jinnexi'd  Napoleon  j'onapa'Ie  I 

A  liride  liefoie  she  was  rourteen,  Ticti/ia  was  nineteen  at  the 
liiilh  of  .\a|ioleon,  who  wa->  her  li.urth  child.  The  tii'st  two 
haxinLi'  failed  to  lay  hold  on  life,  and  reiiieiiilieriii!.'  that  sad 
('X|iei'ience  a/id  Ihi-  recent  strueLHes  and  jiriNations  with  the 
Jinny  in  ilie  field,  there  was  a  natural  anxiety  ahoiit  the  new- 
comer. She  nursed  hini  while  she  could  and  then  her  |)l<i(!<' 
was  talcen  hy  a  sailor's  wife.  Caiiiilla  llari,  another  name  im- 
niorlalised  hy  associat  ion  with  this  infant,  her  "  Nalmlionello, " 
as  the  u'oiid  woman   fondly  called  her  char(.'e. 

In  a  land  of  lovely  women.  Leti/ia  had  worn  fi'om  '^'irlhood 
the  chalh'ir_'in'j:  title  of  the  "most  beautiful  woman  in  Cor- 
sica." Accordiii";  to  the  standards  of  a  race  of  low  statun\ 
she  was  of  iiiedinia  heiirht  and  of  u'raceful  carriau'e,  with  the 
small  hands  and  feet  and  eai's.  the  reirular  tei-th.  th(  (?hestiiut 
liair.  the  nohle  forehead,  the  brilliant  eyes,  the  lontr,  well- 
formed  nose,  the  line  mouth  and  strong'  chin  which  Napohon 
was  to  inherit  as  he  dcveloiied  into  manhood.  It  is  certain, 
Iniwevei',  that  he  was  not  hailed  as  a  pretty  batiy  or  one  worthy 
of  a  beautiful  mother  and  a  handsome  father,  and  foi'  a  lontj 
time  the  family  was  trouhle(l  because  his  big  head  wjus  so  out  of 
piii|)ortion  to  his  really  frail  body. 

Napoleon,  as  well  as  his  mother,  testified  tliat  lie  wa.s  a  wild, 
nni'uly  bo.\',  whose  insejiarahle  companion  was  no  other  than 
his  foster  brother,  his  "  brother  of  the  milk,"  I,Lnia/io  llari.  th< 
son  of  a  sailor  and  a  niHN(>.  Lon<r  years  afterward,  when  he 
sat  down  on  another  island  to  jra/e  across  the  unlf  ot  a  life- 
time, and  this  island  of  Coi-siea  swum  into  view,  he  said  of  his 


emu  oukhi  . 


< 


'I 


Blirni  AXI)   FUKTIII'LACE  7 

■■I  vvas,s,.|f-uill,.,l  and  nl)stinat(';  notliinir  awo.i  mo-  notliiix^ 
disco.i.M.rt..,!  nic.     1  uas  .luanrlsonH',  ••xaspcratiu- .  1  tVarcd 
"o  our.     I  j^ave  a  blow  Ii.mv  and  a  scratch  tlicrc.     Even-  one 
was  atraid  ui  me.     My  lirofhcr,  Joseph,  was  the  one  witli  whom 
I  had  the  most  to  do;  he  was  beaten,  bitten,  seohled       I  liad 
!'Ut   tlie  blame   ,m  him   almost   b..roiv   he  knew  wliat   he  w;  s 
about,  was  tellnnr  tales  about  him  almost  iMd'ore  he  could  col 
|ect  his  wits.     !  had  to  be  .luick.     My  mamma,  Letizia    would 
liave  restraine.l  my  warlike  temper;  >l,c  woidd  not  have  pit 
up   with   my  detiaut   petulane.-.      Ilrr   tendcness   wa.s  sever, 
metintr  out  punishment  and  reward  with  ,.,,ual  justie.--  inert 
and  dement,  slie  took  both  into  account."' 

Ti,e  rod  wa.s  not  >parcd  by  tlie  stern  and  exaetin-  mothc- 
A  cult  or  two  on  tiie  ear  were  sometimes  re<p,iiv,l  fo  -.,t  the 
Joy  started  to  church  even  on   Sundav.     When   he  p.'.rsiste  1 
one  day  in  t(,llowinu  his  motli..r  against  her  onlers   sh  ■  turned 
and  calmly  ^ave  him  such  a  vi-orous  slap  tliat  he  -oiled  .low  1 
a  inll,  where  she  hd't  him  to  pick  himself  np  while  sh,.  went 
<"'    ■'■■•  way  without  lo<.kin-  back.     Even  when  the  time  cann 
or  hnn  to  flatter  himself  that  he  was  -too  biix  to  be  whipped  '' 
'":   •■arne.l  his  mistake.     Hecanse  his  old  jrrandmoth.M-  walknl 
with  a  cane  he  ealled  h<.r  a  witch  in  spite  of  all  her  pami.Tin- 
<i    him.      I  h..  motlu^r  simply  waited  until  he  was  chan^in-r  his 
Hotiies  tor  dinner,  in    'xpctation  of  jruests.  and  catchin./him 
out  01   (us  armour.  ,ua  .v  him  one  more  an.l  his  last  parenta 
chasti<ement. 

To  an  American  seekintr  dramatic  effects  in  the  ph-b,M'ir 
'^nsu,  ot  the  Emperor.  1,,^  birthplac  is  a  .iisappointment.  It 
N^  ';o  lar-e  and  too  nearly  palatial  for  the  purpose  of  ,-ontrast 
Wlule  .Napoleon  was  a  parvenu  anion-  kin?s,  he  was  an  ari-to- 
'•i;i  anion-  Corsican.  and  bdmi-e,]  to  one  of  the  first  famili,.s 
01  -  J'll-'o.  Ills  father  was  "the  noble  .Sj^no-  Carlo  di  Buona- 
parte m  the  record  of  liis  marriaev.  and  bv  ii,e  .same  ..videnee 
^is  mother  the  danohter  of  "the  noble  Si^nor  -Jean  Jerome 
uamolino. 

_  The  old  family  mansion  at  Ajaccio  lias  hardlv  been  o:-eupied 
suieo  the  Bonaparte^  were  banishe.l  from  Corsi,"a_to  fame  ami 
rortime.     N:!po|eou"«  i--ot!-'r  >■:'■!    1  :-  -^  ,'     ^--         ■■  -- 

i    -.-t.ll„     I..uti..I      ...,,,(1     11      lU     til,-     IMIIjr    PI      liiliii,. 


If. 


8 


IN  TllK  KOOTSTKl'S  OF  NArOLEON 


tn.t  slu.  oulliv..a  tlu.  Km-  ..ul  al  hrv  .Imth  it  came  into  the 
possession  ..f  Kin'.'  Jos.^h  I'.onai-arte.  Now  it  is  th.  property 
of  the  ex-H.np.vss  Ku,-ni...  A.T.ss  the  street  is  the  tmy 
I'laer  Leti/ia,  where  onee  st.Mul  the  ^Mrlh-Hnl  hoiue  of  the 
,„„,h,,,'.  th.  site  of  wliirh   Ku-rui..  has  hou-hi  and  sewn  with 

7>n  the  seeo.ul  lino.'  of  thr  lionapaHe  iio.nr.  joinin-  the  salon 
,1,.  vi^it.'  whnv  liir  in.'vitahh'  iv-ister  new  await.s  the  tourist  s 
auto.vrapli.  is  a  hu'-e  .■iiaiuher  witli  one  window  overlooking 
tlie  side  street.  This  is  the  Veritable  shrine  of  the  temple- 
tl.,.  rooiu  in  whirli  NapohMui  was  horn.  The  low  narrow  sola 
on  whieli  the  ye  ..-  mother  lay  in  the  elothes  she  had  worn  at 
ehureh  still  stands  airain.  i  llie  wall.  _ 

There  is  little  ill  thr  liirthrooni  now  .'xerpt  memories,  but 
thev  <rowd  it  A  l;ih!e  scni-'  is  tiirre.  carved  in  wood,  a  gitt 
tliat  Xapolron  hrou-ht  his  motiier  when  he  came  home  for  the 
l,,.t  tinir  after  Ids  K^-yi.lian  eaiii|>ai-rn.  A  hust  ot  Luffcnio  s 
rriiKT  Imperial  is  on  the  mantel  wliere  she  placed  it  with  her 
own  hands  when  she  was  Kmi)ress  of  the  French. 

On  tlie  wall  alune  tlie  sofa  is  a  simple  engraving  in  a  cheap 
frame  It  is  a  pirtiire  of  the  .■hild  grown  to  young  manhood 
but  still  lookm-  vcrv  l.oyish,  the  "Little  Corporal"  waving 
tlie  tricolour  Ha-  .if  France  on  the  bridge  of  Areole.  It  is  like 
a  pirture  of  him  at  iil:..'  ami  in  keeping  with  the  scenes  ot  his 
youth,  wheiv  on  tlic  red  tiled  floor  he  stamped  about,  a  wooden 
sword  on  his  thigh. 

The  house  as  a  whole  is  now  seantily  furnished,  but  the  birth 
chamber  and  its  sofa,  the  veritable  nest  in  which  the  eagle  was 
hatched,  is  enough  for  tlie  most  eager  pilgrim,  and  this,  with 
tie  house  itself,  should  aj.pease  the  greediest  curiosity.  Ihen 
there  is  XapoleoiFs  back  bedroom,  wliere  the  boy's  wild  dreams 
did  not  equal  the  realities  of  the  life  ahead  of  him.  Moreov-r, 
this  room  has  a  trap  door,  and  the  trap  door  has  a  legend  of 
y„\\U'j:  Napoleon  .'.mppiim-  lhrout:h  it  to  escape  from  pursuing 
enemies  in  the  Kesolution. 

If  the  larueiiess  of  the  exterior  takes  the  visitor  by  surprise, 
j,e  will  be  .istonislied  by  the  imposing  interiors  of  the  house, 
the  drawiiiL'  rumn,  the  dining  room,  the  smoking  room,  and  the 


lURTH  AND  HIirnU'LACH 


9 


(■al)iiu't  or  study  of  tlu'  fiithcr,  all  with  their  mantels  of  Car- 
rara iiiarlilc.  The  fri'aiul  drawiii^^  I'ooiii.  the  salon  des  fetes,  its 
floor  of  sliiiiiii!,'  pari|uetry  I'eady  foi-  a  liall  and  its  walls  'nniir 
with  iiiiri'ors  and  eandelahi'a,  su^'^'esls  the  lalioiirs  of  a  restorer, 
for  when  Nafioleon  early  in  his  fortunes  ordered  the  old  iiome 
I'epair'ed.  .)osf|)h,  to  whom  tile  iluty  was  intrusted,  is  said  to 
have  touched  up  ami  end)ellished  the  ancestral  hacku'round  of 
the  newly  arisen  family. 

IIo\\i'\er  that  mav'  he,  a  sympathetic  ohserver,  with  a  mind 
for  practical  things,  cannot  hut  he  soriw  as  he  wanders  from 
room  to  room,  each  opening  from  the  other,  to  think  of  poor 
|j(  izia  taking  care  (if  this  hig  house  and  her  eiuht  children 
'    th  only  one  servant  to  help  her! 

Among  tile  rare  keepsakes  of  the  hirtiiplace  is  tlie  book  of 
ritual  wliicli  liie  priest,  who  was  a  ('orsicau,  employed  when 
lie  prepared  Xai)olcon  \\>\'  deatii  at  St.  Helena.  Perliaps  tiie 
richest  treasure  of  all,  \vliicii  is  kt'pt  in  the  house  of  tlie  cus- 
todian, is  a  laurel  wreath  or  crown  of  gold,  costing  $7()00, 
which  some  entimsiasts  ordered  for  tin'  centenary  of  tlie  Con- 
sulate wlieii  it  was  celelirated  in  l!)d2. 

Kverywiiere  Ajaccio  echoes  tlie  memoi'ies  of  her  greatest  son. 
Tile  very  dock  at  wliit'li  tiie  steamer  lands  is  tlie  Quay  Na- 
poleon, and  bending  down  to  tiie  siiore  from  a  terraced  lieight 
runs  the  Boulevard  dii  Roi  -Jerome,  recalling  the  youngest 
hi-other  of  Napoleon.  Fartlier  up  the  leafy  I'laee  of  Palms, 
wliei-e  the  Hdwing  water  ripjiles  in  a  fountain,  rises  a  wliite 
marble  statue  of  tlie  First  Consul,  siieeted  like  a  Homan  and 
with  a  rudder  in  his  right  hand.  Although  he  followed  his 
star  l)y  hind  and  not  by  water,  the  Ajaccian  naturally  Miinks 
of  his  immortal  fellow  islander  as  at  the  helm. 

I'.eiiind  the  iiack  of  that  marble  eftigy,  the  shady  square 
<()mes  to  an  end.  Or  rather  it  merely  narrows  into  the  still 
sjiacious  Avenue  du  I'remier  Consid,  lined  iiy  more  palms,  and 
continues  straight  on  for  two  lilocks  where  it  is  intersected  by 
the  Kiie  Bonaparte  and  by  the  most  important  street  in  town, 
the  ('ours  Napoleon,  along  wliieh  tiie  tiirongs  saunter  iuiuath 
the  wide-spreading  orange  trees. 

From  tiie  Rue  Bonaparte,  tlie  Rue  du  Roi  de  Rome  winds  its 


10 


i\  Tin:  FooTSTKrs  ok  xapolkox 


Wiiy  to  tlic  (»M  catlicdi'iil.  Imilt  iM-lurr  IfilHi,  and  wliciv  Xa- 
jioli'oii's  jiaivni^  \\i'i-c  iiiari'iid  willi  all  possililc  iHiiiip.  At  tiii; 
ri^'lit  of  tilt'  (lour  stands  the  liaiilisma!  font,  sunriountcd  now 
by  an  rlaliof  itdy  carvrd  hi'oii/.c  (•an(i|>y  with  a  fi'own  at  tln' 
top.  I'lidri-  tiic  crown.  '•'Flic  L'loiw  ol'  ( iod  and  tlie  ^:lory  of  the 
woi-ld'"  is  cn^n'avcd  with  the  nanics  of  llif  lionapartc  princes 
and  pi'inccsscs  who  wi-rc  liaptiscd  liy  tin-  priests  of  the  eatlie- 
dral.  lint  the  most  ennspienoiis  ohjret  is  a  I'ed  nuu'lile  tahh-t 
on  a  pillai-  whereon  in  lettei's  of  irokl  are  tliese  words  at- 
tributed to  Xapoh'ou's  will: 

Tf  iii.v  cor])so  sheiilil  he  pre^crilii'il  in  i'aiis  ;is  I  have  lieen,  I  wish 
\n  lie  huricil  aiiiimu  my  aiieolurs  in  llie  calhnhal  cit  A.jaeeio  in  C'ur- 
siea. 

This  modrst  plain  old  villajie  ohureli  well  may  boas*  'o- 

fore.  that  it  stood  only  second  to  the  uiaLrnitieent  Ilc.ei  (Is 
Invalides  in  the  choice  of  the  inipei'ial  exile.  IIow  nearly  it 
came  to  beiny  Ixjth  the  burial  jtlace  and  the  birthplace  ot 
Xapoleon  ! 

If  Ajaccio,  liowevci-,  is  not  the  sepulchre  of  the  Maker  of 
Kinirs,  it  ;j'uarils  ilic  dust  of  the  -Mother  of  Kin^^.  In  the 
courtyard  of  the  C(»lleire  Fesch  in  the  Hue  Fesch — named  for 
the  youn^'  uncle  who  tauirht  Xapoleon  his  a,  b,  e's  and  who  was 
rewarded  \\ith  the  red  hat  of  a  cardinal — is  the  Chapol  Im- 
perial, which,  althouiih  erected  only  >n  1860,  looks  as  venerable 
as  the  ancient  mausoleiun  of  the  iiourbons  at  St.  Denis.  Com- 
iniT  out  of  the  ;.dare  of  the  street  into  the  dusk  of  the  chapel, 
the  visitor  sees  at  tii"st  no  other  e]utai)h  than  that  of  "]\Iater 
KeiTum."  but  di'awin?  nearer  the  enirraved  roll  of  Letizia's 
princely  otfspi'iuir  bei'omes  Icirible.  Her  silent  oomjianions  in 
the  <'iiapcl  arc  lur  half  bi-other.  Cai'dinal  Fesch,  and  two 
princes  and  a  princess  aniunir  the  lesser  known  of  the  Bona- 
partes. 

When  I.eti/ia's  remains  were  enthroned  there,  having  first 
been  iirouulii  from  luime  and  placed  in  a  chapel  of  the  cathe- 
dral, th.e  star  o»'  the  !)Oiiapartes  was  risen  af-ifain  and  was 
shining  gloriously  on  the  Second  Empire.     But  to-day  Ajaceio, 


imnil  AXI)  JMRTIIl'LACE 


11 


Jiloiir   in   a   faithless   world,   remains   faitlit'ul  to   tlie   iiieiiiory 
of  the  vaiiishcd  ciiipirc  ami  its  dynasty. 

Sdiiic  ii^rlitniii--  inipicssionist  has  descrihcd  the  town  as  "the 
^hadc  (jf  Vapolron,  with  iiuuscs  iiiiilt  around  it."  It  is  a  com- 
muiiily  of  idol  WDrsiiijjpcrs;  it  is  all  a  hi-.--  .\a[)oh'oiiic  nuiscuiu, 
uluTc  tvcry  trinki't  of  the  Huiiapartcs  is  sarrcdly  ohcrislu'il. 

There  is  only  one  \ai)oleonic  ohjeet  in  town  which  tlio 
.\j;ieri:iMs  do  Mdt  take  seriously.  This  is  tlu'  .ifroup  of  statuary 
in  the  .'hire  du  Diauiaiit,  at  the  ed^'e  of  the  sea,  where  \a- 
peledii  111  I{()!iian  to^'eery  sits  in  bronze  on  a  horse  poised  atop 
a  !'l'"k  of  trranite,  wiih  his  four  brothers  afoot  at  the  eoriiers. 
Kven  the  idolatrous  smile  at  the  stiff  group,  wliieh  is  derisively 
called  "the  inkstand." 

•More  interestinj,-  is  the  big,  wide  scpiare  itself,  for  it  was  the 
playgi'ound  of  Napoleon  ami  liis  first  battlefield.  Whether  it 
^  was  all  Austerlitz  and  no  Waterloo  lur  him  in  tlio-  •  youthful 
^  engagements  we  ai-e  left  to  wouder.  Ajaeeio  then  was  a  little 
walled  town,  with  a  gate  and  bastion,  between  the  wall  and 
the  eitadel  at  the  point  of  the  peninsula  the  ;{.')()()  iidiabitants 
Were  paeked  iu  eighteen  or  twenty  street.s.  The  nobles  and 
'iierehants,  aiid  their  retainers,  lived  in  the  old  houses  within 
ttie  wall,  while  the  sailors,  meehanies  and  laborei's  dwelt  iu  the 
!iar(Iserabble  \illage  outside. 

Between  the  boys  of  those  two  communities  there  w.is  a  ven- 
detta  be(iueathed  from  generation  to  generation  of  bovliood, 
and  .Xapoleon  first  got  into  action  as     le  champiou  of  Ids  sidJ 
^  ui  this  inheritetl  .piarrel,  nuirshalling  his  troops,  armed  with 
1  sticks  antl  stones,  to  drive  the  invaders  out  of  the  town  gate 
^  and  to  meet  hostile  reinforcements  under  the  wall.     Tlieljoy 
sprang  from  a  fighting  race  and  was  i)red  to  war  in  an  age  ui 
strife.     His  earliest  1,-sori  in  history  was  of  the  Forty  "^.'ears' 
War,  which  ended  at  his  birth,     "i  was  born,"  he  once  said, 
"when  my  native  land  died."     As  the  stirring  storv  of  the 
long  an.l   uneipial   struggle   of  his   peopl,.   dawned    upon    his 
understanding,  he  adopted   I'aoli  as  liis  model  and  his  little 
I'reast  was  filled  with  patriotic  ;:.■;;!. 

Kriends  of  the  family,  seeing  him  eating  soldiers'  bread  iu 


12 


IN  Tin-;  l-'OOTSTKI'S  OF  NAPOLHON 


the   stlVdS    WrVr    >h(,.-kr(l    \>y    Ills    |.lVScnt  ill'-'   il    ^lH■<•t;l(■|.'   so   1111- 

l„.,.,„uinu'  Ills  paivnta-r  and   ivpo-tr,l  it  to  his  iiiotlicr,  who 
found  it  was  a  hahit  of  thr  lioy  to  swai)  his  Iwnii.-iaadc  l)mul 
for  tlu'  rcar-.T  kind  iss;ird  to  thr  -rarrison.     "1  iiiii  a  soldier, 
hv  insistril,  "anel  1  ml.rd  to  rat  what  tiic  soldir  -s  cat." 


CHAPTER  11 


A 


SCHOOLDAYS  IN  TKAXCE 

im-ll'*'!     ACE   0-16 

FORLORN",  sallow-t'ari'd  bov,  not  vet  ten  vinrs  old  and 


siiia 


II 


loi'  Ills  a'jf,  aliL'U 


■look 


111^ 


aiK 


>|it'iikiiiir  lii'oki'u 


Ffcticli,  clitiil)t'd  down  froiii  a  two  wiirflcd  cart  and 
t'dllowod  a  priest  throiijili  the  gate  of  tlie  school  kept  by  the 
Minim  friars  at  Brieiiiie  le  Chateau  in  Fraiiee  one  day  in  May 
in  the  year  ITTlt.  There  he  was  registered  as  Xapoleone  de 
Jlnonaparte,  althouirh  he  called  himself  after  his  nativi'  ( 'or- 
sieaii  fashion,  Xabiilione  iJuonaparte — "  Xah-bool-oe-ony  Hona- 
party." 

Aiiionu'  tlie  few  more  than  100  pupils  in  the  school,  all  of 
nol)le  birth,  there  were  sixty  poor  boys  of  the  notiility  wlio  were 
educated  on  the  bounty  of  the  King,  now  Louis  XVL  Thanks 
to  the  elforts  of  Napoleon's  father  j.  a  seeker  of  government 
favours  and  his  mother's  iiospitality  to  the  French  coiuintM-or  of 
t'iir>ica,  he  was  admitted  to  this  group.  Carlo  Bonaparte  had 
suliniitted  proof  of  eleven  generations  of  noble  Bonapartes  be- 
hind his  son  and  tiled  a  "eertitieate  of  indigence."  in  which 
four  Corsieans  declared  that  he  was  too  poor  to  educate  Xa- 


poieon  111  aeeordance 


with 


Ills 


birtl 


Carlf 

Xapol 


o's   ii.emorandum  when   he   went  liome,   after    i>laeiiig 


rO 


n   in   school,   was  characteristic 


.  .  "I  started  for 
tlic  court  of  France,  deputy  noble  of  the  estates  of  Corsica, 
taking  with  me  100  loiiis.  I  received  while  in  Paris  4000 
francs  in  gratiiicatioi.s  from  the  King,  and  1000  ecus  in  fees; 


atnl 


rrtunied  w'.'lieut  a  sou. 


II< 


iia( 


1.  however,  brought 


hark  from   I'aris  twelve  b.'auiiful  suits  of  silk  and  velvet   for 


muse 


As  fast  as  tlie  younirer  children  grew  up  tliey  were  regularly 


13 


14 


I\  TIIK  I'ooTSTI'.I'S  ol'  NAI'oM'.oN 


and  |irotii|>lly  tiaiistVn-td  liy  Caflo  to  tlir  cai'r  arnl  Isccp  of  a 
p'iirr(iu>  ^'(i\  iTiiini'iii,  '••||i||.  ii,,  liiiiiscif  was  mi  tlu'  payi'dll  ;is 
assfSisor  of  tlu'  myal  coiii-t  of  jiistn-f  in  Ajarcio  and  dnw  his 
(.'iiioliniH'iitN  as  the  di'fiiity  of  tlir  Corsican  iioliility  in  I'aris. 


A    I, 


l\\  \r|' 


liy    |ir(ilV>sinii,   \\r  scruis  to   lia\c   had 


lianllv  anv 


man  and  indiiNt  n- 


otlitT  rliriif  thati  liniiM'If.  While  a  tah'ntrd 
ous  cnoULdi,  he  hilionrcd  hard  and  (•on^tantl\■  all  his  da>  s  to 
snpport  liinisrlf  and  family  by  some  moi'c  rrs|M'ctai)li'  nii-ans 
than  earning'  his  living'. 

With    his   fatlhi'  away    niiirh   of  the  time  and   his   moth   r 

i^niorant  of  licoks.  Napohun   i civcd   no  rdncation   at    liiiiiH', 

Fi'om  his  nni-lr,  Joseph  l-"cvi'h.  he  leai-i:ed  the  alphahet  and  he 
was  tantrht  the  eateeliisni  hy  his  t,'i'eat-uiieK\  i^iieiam.  I'.ona- 
{)arte,  tile  archdeaeoii.  At  six  he  was  sent  to  a  udfls"  S'^hunl 
to  reeeive  lessons  i'voiw  nnns  and  next  lie  jiassed  t  i  a  lirotliei's' 


school.  Ahhe  Reeco 


s,  wliei'e  he  ^'ave  the  lii'st  si'jn  of  his  apti 


tudt'  for  iiiatheniatics. 

The  hoy  was  only  nine  when  he  hade  ^'ood-hye  to  his  Imiiie 
to  entei*  upon  a  six  \'ears"  school  coni'se  anuuiL'  sti'ane'ers  in 
a  strantre  land,  never  a^'ain  to  know  throuurhont  the  tender 
years  of  youth  the  jovintr  care  of  a  mother  or  the  aft"ections 
and  comforts  of  a  family  circle.  Sailintr  away  from  Ajacrio 
on  a  winter's  day,  witii  his  father  and  .losepli  and  his  u 
Fesch,  he  tirst  set  foot  on  tiie  soil  of  Fi-ariee  at  .Marseilles. 


neic 


For  three  months  lie  stayed  with  .Joseph  at  Autuii,  in  oi'di 


that  he  miirht  lie  instructed  a  little  in  the  Fi'eiich  lanuii; 


lie  still  spok.'  only  the  Italian  dialect  of  Cor 


sica. 


A\- 


l^'e.  a> 
leii   the 


time  came  foi'  him  to  leave  for  Hrieniie  the  elder  hi'other  wept 
loudly  at  the  partin<r,  hut  only  one  tear  I'seaped  Napoleiin\ 
self-repression,  and  that  evidence  of  weakness  'vas  (piickl) 
brushed  away.  Joseph  mijrht  cry  :  he  was  going  to  be  a  p;icst. 
but  a  soldier  must  have  a  stout  heart. 

The  boy  would  need  at  Hrieniie  all  the  stnii-ism  in  bis  nature. 
The  discipline  there  was  ])i'escrilied  by  the  war  department  as 
suited  to  tile  bi'eeilini;'  of  soldiers.  In  some  i'espe(  ts  it  would 
have  been  eijually  suitable  for  a  prison  and  it  would  be  looked 
upon  to-day  as  a  cruelly  severe  regime  to  impose  upon  a  boy 
as  young  as  Napoleon. 


'S 


•^•'IIOOLDAVS   I\   FRAXc,. 


'"'i'-  ^^■•'s  rut  sWt  I       ''•'    "'!'>'-<  oun  .n.ml.Mj,,      His 

-'•'•'"'"'.""."''t:  :;■;:,;':'';'■ H.o,.,„„iu-,„s,.„„„.i„. 

'-■■■« i.i"i .■N:.t:;:r;„:;;;!r;: ';;'■-'■ '■'■;•'■ .-■ 

...„;;,:r';:^:;;;:;;,,;:;r' ;-  ^-i.-  a,...,.  „„...,  „is  ,o„n, 

«'is  a  sava-c  countrv  ■.,„!  tl,  .     ,  "  ""''"■f-stam!in- 

so.n.,i,„,.s  ti;n.  ,»,,:"•;  •,'"^'   "'   "^'""   '-^  --,ls  an, 

'"  '-"  l-y  .-cnp  Hson     hi  ";  s     r  '^'"."'•'"' -'<'  in  what  s.e,„ed 
,,,„„,  '^nn  u,fn  Ins  sin.ny  island  a  l.loak  and  wintry 

;'■''^?'V:"":.t;^rt^ 

'-  "'^  -'•  -  -'^^^  --;:u::a:;;;'ra,olL- tr,.;;:;;t 


16 


I.\  TIIK   l"()()TSTi;i'S  OV  XAl'oLKoN 


pi'irsfs.  Wliil,.  corpoiMl  piinislmiriit  li;i.i  lirm  tnrl.iddni  \>y 
tlir  -owi'iiiiinit.  Ii..  S...IIIS  I,,  |i;i\,.  nTriwd  at  l.■i^^t  one  (1i.fi- 
u'lir.'.  At,'aiii,  for  mmii.'  iiil'r.ict  ion  of  a  riil<-.  lie  was  ord.'ivil  to 
(!.»  pc'iiaiK-.^  Iirtntv  all  tlir  hoys  li\  ratiiiL'  a  iiiral  on  his  kn.TS 
"•  ""■  '1'""'  "I'  'li''  ivfrriorv.  lie  pi'otcst.'ci  \ . ■  Ih •iiirn 1 1 v  that 
his  moth. I-  liad   Injd   liim   lu   |<nr,.|   only   to  (iod,  and    tiiat  he 

"■""''•  •"'' I  '"  II''  iii^iii.      His  inditriiatioii  linally  running'  into 

a  w  ild  tantrnin  he  had  to  lir  cai-rinl  olT  to  hrd.  ' 

I'laiidy  111.'  Kini,'of  l-'ranrr  was  iiiirtiitini,' a  vei'v  rclu'llious 
siil).jrct.  Our  of  thr  friars  ivniindcd  iiini  of  the  d.'ht  of  jrniti- 
tiidr  hr  owrd  tin-  Kins.',  luit  tlu-  hoy  was  steadily  fornunt,'  the 
l)iiri)()s(.  to  riii|,|oy  thi"  cdiicatiiMi  the  nation  was  udvinir  him  as 
!i  means  (d'  proinotin-r  the  liherty  of  Corsica  ratli.r  tliaii  th.- 
^dory  ()r  France.  "I  will  d,>  tlicse  French  ail  the  miseliief  1 
fiin."'  lie  iiinltered,  aci'oidiiiLr  to  tiio  rejxxl  of  one  of  liis  ejass- 
mates.^  A  priest  tvproviiiir  him  at  confession  for  his  deimiicia- 
tioii  of  Fr-ance.  he  i-an  out  of  tlie  eonfessionai.  slioiitintr:  "I 
do  not  come  to  this  place  to  talk  ahont  Corsica,  and  a  priest  has 
IK)  mission  to  lecture  me  on  tliat  siihject." 

I'|-oliai)ly  with  tlie  id.'a  of  hrintrin<r  him  into  line,  the  friars 
trave  him  a  post  of  honour  in  the  corj.s.  hut  tii.'  hoys  court- 
martialed  him  as  "unworthy  of  our  esteem  siu.-e  lie"  disdains 
our  afi'ections."'  His  independence,  however,  was  picpiiiif,' 
tliem  at  hist,  and  this,  with  his  uiicomplainintr  acceptance 
of  their  verdict,  served  to  i)rinjx  liim  more  into  their  favour. 
At  any  rate,  lie  found  liimself  after  a  while  on  better  terms 
with  iiis  surroundinLTs.  and  with  on.>  of  the  lioys.  Louise 
Antoine  i-'auvelet  de  Bourrienne.  he  formed  a  close  friend- 
sliip. 

In  Xapoleon's  last  winter  at  Brienne.  there  was  a  heavy 
snow,  which  hroufirht  liim  an  opportunity,  the  only  roeordeil 
one.  to  he  a  leatk-r  anion,!.'  his  school  fellows.  The  snow  wa.s 
so  iU'p  in  the  bijr  courtyard  that  the  hoys  were  .snowbound. 
Napoleon  projiosed  that  they  cr,.t  shovels,  build  snow  forts,  and 
dividing;  up.  eiiira-e  in  sie.r,..s  and  attacks.  "I,"  said  the 
stratesrist.  '•  f  will  direct  the  movements."  The  lioys  took  hold 
with  enthusiasm,  the  forts  wen>  erected  and  were  furiously 
stormed  until  the  contending  forces  had  delved  so  deep  that 


r 


StTIOI 

Til 
I'aili-i 
that 
cfivei 

liood. 

H.'  r 

the  w 

Th 

porioi 

U.'T'h 

liiinsc 


t'( 


capac 
He 

moiitl 
tilt'  I 
town 
whctl 

frii'iu 
Till 
came 
lirs  ir 
mill's 
of  Ct 

iiiliah 

Th( 

St  ray  i 

crowi 

fViT. 
llolfOl 

Bricti 
roads 
sion  0 


S(  IIooLD.WS   1\   I'lJANCI-; 


17 


L'r;.vr|   svjis  iiiixiil   with  tlic  siioulialls  ,iinl   the  caMiiillK'S  t,'ru\V 

M  lliiUs. 

'.  he  si'liodi  ;is  -1  si'liool  scrtn.''  to  lia\r  liccii  ratlii'i-  poor.  It 
i.iil'il  iittiTly  t(i  (ii^(•(lV(■r•  Vapolcon,  ami  tlicn-  is  no  ciconl 
"it  tliis  uorM-licatcr  udii  a  siiiL'lr  pfi/"  at   Hritinic       llr  it- 

■  ;w,l  (lanriiitr  lessons,  lint  ilid  not  Iri.rii  to  daiic".  llr  took 
'"Miiaii.  hut  ^■(•t•llls  not   to  liavc  rcincni!  <it.1  any  of  it   in  nian- 

' I-     "'■  ''<i"i   L.itin  aulliotN  uitli  a  rral  hunirir'  t'oi    kiiowl- 

■  ''.'Jr.  lint  nfVfi-  L'ot  hcyond  thr  foin'th  chiss  iii  liis  Latin  stinlirs. 
II'-  rrc-ivrd  uritiiii,'  lessons,  hiit  his  |,i'niiiansliii)  is  pri'hap'i 
'\r-  \\ors«  in  history. 

The  lihrary  was  his  i'avonrite  haunt.  In  the  rccrciition 
I"  iKKJs  he  was  more  likely  to  he  there  with  a  voliiui.'  of  I'lii- 
'.  'ill  in  his  hand  than  on  the  pIay>,M()iind.  He  had  found  for 
\'\u\-t  If  the  eoiiiliination  of  the  lock  on  the  stor(  hoiis,.  of  knowl- 
iiU'. — a  desiri-  to  read  hooks,  the  hahit  of  readini,'  them  and  a 
'iil'.ieity  to  understand  them. 

"'•  li"<l  ' 11  at  lirienue  mor-e  than  live  years  and  was  a  few 

ineiiths  j)ast  his  liftcenth  hirthday  when  he  was  [iroinoted  to 
liie  Keole  Militairi"  at  Paris,  i'rohahly  the  only  person  in 
t'i'Aii  who  marked  his  departure,  the  only  soul  who  eared 
whether  he  stayed  or  went  was  Hourriiiine,  who  rode  with  ids 
f-ieiid  as  far  a'^  thi-  statre  line  for  Paris. 

The  eiuu-ihiiisly  sir.iple  \  .....j^'e  of  Hrieime  to  which  Napoleon 
fame  apaiii  after  twenty  \ears  and  st'll  at'ain  after  ten  more. 
lies  in  the  hosom  of  France  some  one  hundred  and  twenty-tive 
"iih's  to  the  east  of  Paris  and  near  Troyes,  the  ancient  eapital 
"I  CliampaL'ne.  It  is  to-day  only  a  dot  on  a  fjentlc  rollintr. 
"'II  wooded  plain,  where  the  red  roofs  that  shelter  its  1M)0 
iiihahitants  cluster  aliout  two  cross  roads. 

Tli'ise  are  really  the  only  streets,  with  a  few  little  lanes 
N'rayintr  otT  from  them  into  the  pretty  eountn-side,  while 
'fownincr,  dominating,'  all  is  the  chateau.  This  is  not.  liow- 
'  ■'■!■.  <me  of  the  old  French  chateaii.v;;  it  was  new  when  Xa- 
!i"l"m  went  there  to  school,  hut  on  its  hill  the  counts  of 
I'limne  have  had  their  seat  for  !>t)0  years.  At  the  ero.ss- 
!-nads  in  the  centre  and  almost  in  the  shadow  of  th-  great  man- 
■:i'ii  of  the  count,  is  diis  street  siKii : 


18 


IN  THK   FOnTSTKI'S  OF  NAIMM.KON 


r 


I'.KIKNNK  l.F  CIFNTFAF 


Bt'Ill'Jltll    tllr    llfWiT 


rltrrinu'  IS  liai'rly  disceniil)!*'  ati  oUUt      , 


1;HIKNNK  FF  NAI'OFFOX. 


Tho  ficklnu'ss  of  faincl  15ri.-mu'  luul  Im.mi  proud  one  day 
to  link  luT  .m.n..  wifn  that  of  the  little  Forsiean  she  onee 
desnisecl.  after  whi.-li  tlu'r."  ea.ne  another  day  when  ^he  i^aiiUed 
out  his  name  as  if  it  peNvr  had  Ihvh.  Ful  there  it  still  is, 
shnnn>'-  throu-rh  the  unavailing'  etVort  to  eelipse  it.         _ 

Bevond  a  hloek  of  idle  villa-e  shops  on  the  other  main  street 
is  the  siLditlv  Hotel  .le  ViUe.  Ther.  stands  ui  hron/e  the 
imtnortil  sehoolhov  of  Hrh'nn.'.  with  -olden  ea-les  and  a 
crown  at  his  feet,  hut  yet  only  a  lou^'-ha. red  lean  and  hun-ry 
bov  Behind  the  statue  is  the  door  of  the  llofl  de  \  i  le  and 
over  it  in  mar'^lr  the  head  of  Nai>oleon  the  man,  with  lame 
and  vietory  crowninj,'  him. 

A  little  farther  on  in  this  street  rises  an  old  wall  and  Here 
behhid  this  wall  stood  the  school  of  the  Minim  friars,  the  hrst 
perch  of  the  eajzle  in  his  tli-:  i  from  the  motluT  nest  "t  -VF*''- 
eio  Th<'  school  is  no  more:  it  was  closed  hy  th.-  Kevolu- 
tion  in   ITfi:^.  whmi  theiv  was  no  lnnj:er  a  km-  of  France  to 

pav  for  th lucation  of  the  sons  .d'  poor  nohlmien  and  whrn 

nohlenuM.    an.l    friars    alike    were    hanislud    from    the    conn- 

trv 

The  one  survivor,  th.'  one  spared  monument  of  the  school, 
is  the  convent  in  which  the  friars  livd.  It  still  sta.ids  tinder 
the  shade  of  a  noble  tree  and  thmv  the  sohiiers  ot  the  Repul.lic. 
•v  little  -arriMHi  of  sixtv  men.  have  their  barracks,  it-s  namr 
pnnte.l  on  the  -able  end  of  the  old  .■onveiit,  "Caserne  Bona- 
parte, F'^iir..'"  ,      ,    . 

The  memoi'v  of  the  hov  who  went  to  school  there  is  more 
tirai)hically   pres.TV.-d   by  a   weathcrstain.'d   marble  statue   ot 


SCIIOOLiJAYS  L\  FRANCE 


1!) 


him  nhovt'  the  pate,  with  tlio  insoription,  "Xaprleon  1779- 
17>i4."  Till'  statue  stands  on  an  arch  lu-neath  which  the  sol- 
diers comi'  and  ^'o  on  thi'ir  dull  routine,  and  on  which  is  in- 
sf-rilietl  "Ancienne  Keoie  .Militaire,  1776-17'J3,"  while  one 
of  the  stone  ^ate  posts  heaiN  thi'  roll  of  the  in(  re  famous 
s^-'hoolhoys  of  iSiienne:  JJonaparte.  iiourrienne,  Piehegru, 
Davout.  Xansouty,  D'lIaupLul,  (iudin,  Soi'lii^r.  yiarescot, 
La   Bretcheche,  Hnineteau,  Vallee. 

Hack  at  the  crossroads  stands  the  old  church,  hare  and  still 
within,  wheic  the  family  of  tlie  count  woi'ship  on  red  cush- 
ioned pews  in  a  special  reservation.  On  a  level  with  its  belfry 
where  now  hanfr  three  bells — not,  however,  the  ores  which 
lonj;  resoujided  in  the  ear  oi  Napoleon — sits  the  chateau  which 
once  no  douht  seemed  to  frown  down  upon  the  little  Corsican, 
hut  where  the  Hcautl'remonts,  proud  of  their  loiifr  descent,  were 
made  i)rouder  still  when  they  welcomed  him  hack  to  Hrienne 
in  IMI."),  for  then  he  wore  tiie  crown  of  France  and  was  pausin<^ 
ti  re  in  his  impci'ial  progress  to  his  second  coron  ition  at 
Milan. 

lie  came  back  to  Brienne  once  more  in  FS14,  and  there 
ajiain  he  led  the  French  in  battle — but  this  time  not  with 
snowballs.  He  was  tiKhting  now  to  save  his  two  crowns,  and 
like  a  wounded  ea^'le  tluttering  to  its  nest,  he  ran  into  the  vil- 
lage with  all  Europe  in  pursuit  of  him.  He  found  no  wel- 
come at  the  chatea\i,  for  Blucher  held  it.  but  he  took  it  by 
storm  and  slept  once  more  in  the  castle  whose  showroom  to 
this  day  is  the  "chambre  a  coucher  de  Napoleon,"  with  every- 
thing in  it  carefully  kcjit,  just  as  he  left  it  .lanuarj-  '.U    1814. 

It  was  as  H  fifteen  year-old  schoolboy  from  the  villaiie  of 
Brieinie,  following  at  the  heels  of  a  ]\Iinim  friar,  that  Na- 
ixjlcon,  in  the  month  of  October,  17S4,  made  his  first  entry 
into  the  capital  of  France  when  he  was  delivered  to  the 
authorities  of  the  Kcole  IMilitaire.  The  old  building,  which 
is  still  standing  and  belongs  to  he  army,  is  not  far  from  the 
Eiffel  Tower — and  the  Hotel    ics  Inv.ilides. 

There  Napoleon  was  entered  as  a  gentleman  cadet  and 
tliere  he  was  confronted  with  a  still  j)rouder  aristocracy,  for 
the  first  families  did  not  send  their  sons  to  Brienne. 


20  IX  TllK  FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLFON 

The  F.vnrl,  uulitary  training  as  a  whole  was  r.ovv  the  envy 
of  other  nations  an.l  attraeted  many   forei-n  pupils.     W  hih 
\apohon  was  at  the  Paris  Feole,  there  was  m  another  l-reneh 
;..hool  at    An.ier.  an   Irisl,   hoy.   Arthur  WeUes  ey  by  name, 
l.u,   better  known  to  history  as  tlie  Duke  ot   W  elhn^ton 
m  the  hrst   months  oV  Xapoh.on's  stay  at    the   Ecole    us 
father  was  in  Fran<-e  onee  more,  but  tln>  tune  tor  his  health 
11,.  ,,uu.  to  see  a  I'aris  physieian  re-anlin-  a  severe  stomach 
trouble   whieli   ha.l   been   aftlietm-  bun    for  some  time   and  it 
^vas   found  that   he    had   eaneer.     Leavi.ifr    Pans,   he  was  at 
Montpellier,  in  southern   Franee,  when  his  disease  oveivame 
him.  and  there  he  died    in  the  thirty-ninth  >ear  o    his     ft 

Carlo-s  davs,  thou^'h  few.  were  yet  c.row.ud  with  a  sneeess 
whieh  he  coveted  above  any  gains  for  himself ;  an  -PP-'J-t^m  X 
for  his  eliildren  to  take  the  position  m  the  world  to  whieh  ht 
thought  their  iiirth  entitled  thein. 

Like  most  men  of  -.reat  foree.  Napobon  was  the  son  of  a 
weak  father  and  a  stron,^  mother.  Yet  there  was  something 
Truly  Napoleonic  in  farlo  P.onaparte's  bold  assuranc-e  aiid 
restl  ss  ambition,  and  this  may  have  been  his  l-f ;•>;.<.  Xa- 
poleon.  As  a  whole  Ids  eharaeter  was  a  vain  and  futile  on* 
bnt  his  very  weakness  fitted  him  to  play  a  certain  usetul  pait 
in  the  drama  of  his  son's  life.  ai,,;.    wbn 

At  the  Feole.  Xapobn).!  had  a  roommate.  Des  Maz  s.  ^^ho 
be..ame  his  bosom  friend  and  his  only  real  friend  in  all  Pans. 
Th.'re  too.  he  made  an  enemy  who  \sas  destined  to  cross  ais 
,„,  ;,  after  years.  This  was  a  boy  named  P'^'^  HH-'UX^ 
Picot  de  Peccadeuc  sat  between  the  two  toys  tor  a  time  hu 
when  his  shins  were  bhu'k  and  blue  from  their  wild  kicks  at 
each  other  he  asked  to  be  move.!  from  the  bring  line. 

The  most  important  thing  that  happened  to  Napoleon  whiU 
at  the  Feole  was  a  new  course  of  reading  he  took  up  soon 
after  entering  the  place.  Paris  was  then  sitting  on  the  ^■ol- 
ca.io  of  the  Revolution,  and  the  boy's  mind  passed  under  th. 
intluene..  of  the  revolutionary  philosophy  which  was  swaying 
the  thought  of  the  capital. 

In    the    ten    months   that    he    was    at    the    Ecole    he    won 
no  special  marks.     He  never  was  an  officer  of  the  corps  or 


sill 


S(■lI()uI.l)A^■S  IN   FKAXCIO 


21 


Iliad  oi"  tlic  mess.  lie  j^ct  aloii^'  vvf'll  witl,  .is  t('aoh;TS  and 
sniiic  of  tlicm  he  nover  i  eased  to  rcinemljer  with  <;rat'-tiule. 
Ill  after  years  there  were  thos.'  who  hoasted  that  thty  had 
i-rcoiiiiised  his  prenius,  i)ut  poor  Haur.  tlie  (ieniiati  tearher, 
iM'Ver  eould  live  (k)\\ii  a  remark  he  iuikK"  one  day  in  Septeni- 
lier,  1785. 

"Where  is  M.  ih'  Bonaparte?"  he  asked,  as  he  looked  over 
the  class. 

"In  for  the  artillery  examination,"  some  one  replied. 

"What!     Does  he  know  anything''" 

"Why,  he  is  cue  of  the  best  ma  hematieiaus  in  the  school." 

■Oil,  I  have  always  thought  that  only  idiots  were  tit  to 
stiuiy  mathematics." 

•Vapoleon  was  examined  by  LaPlace,  the  celebrated  mathe- 
iiiatieian  and  asti-onomer.  And  among  the  fifty-six  young 
men  who  passed,  he  stood  forty-two  from  the  top! 

Ifis  long  and  hard  apprenticeship  in  the  tradi-  of  the  sword 
was  tinished  at  la.st  and  he  was  now  at  the  ♦hresliold  of  another 
-IX  years'  apprenticeship,  which  held  privations  more  bitter 
si  ill,  an  apprcuticeship  m  the  great  school  of  life. 


»> 


CIIAPTF.R  III 

BEF0R1-:  THE  DAWN 

IT'^D-lTOS      AGE    16-23 

AFTLit  graduating,'  from  the  Eeole  :\Iilitaire.  Napoleon 
rncivt'd  an  officer's  coinniission,  hut  lie  liad  to  borrow 
t'fom  his  classiu-.tt',  Dt-s  .Ma/is.  tiif  money  to  enable 
him  to  join  his  reuiinent  which  was  in  garrison  at  \'alence, 
4U0  miles  south  of  Paris. 

Valence  is  an  atti'i.dive  oUl  town  of  almost  ;5(),0(H)  popula- 
tion, close  to  the  up|icr  burdcr  of  I'rovencc,  where,  seated  well 
above  the  i)anks  of  the  Kiver  Rhone,  l)etween  Lyons  and 
Avijinon,  it  looks  across  a  vinc-trrown  ])lain  to  the  Alpine 
foothills  of  Daupliiny  on  one  side  and  the  ^'entle  mountauis  of 
Cevennes  on  the  oilier. 

It  is  but  a  sti'p  from  the  new  to  old  Valence,  where  the  little 
streets  twist  aiul  turn  and  tumble  down  to  the  wide,  swift 
river.  In  the  centre  of  it  stands  the  cathedral,  and  nearby 
at  the  corner  of  the  winding  lirantlc  Hue  and  the  still  nar- 
rower Hue  Croissant  is  Xo.  -IS,  a  shockingly  modeni  four- 
story  business  block  without  an  identifying  tablet  or  even 
a  street  nund)er  on  its  front.  Yet  there  the  eaglet  perched 
for  awhile  and  gave  Valence  its  admission  ticket  to  the  pages 
of  history. 

Apparently  the  present  tenants  are  uneoTiscious  of  the  re- 
flected glory  in  which  they  dwell,  and  it  is  dilliciUt  to  recall 
to  their  memory  the  days  of  1785  sfi.  when  a  melancholy 
stripliiic-  came  and  went  in  their  winding  lane  of  a  Grande 
Kue.  ''or  at  No.  -4^.  Mile.  Uou.  a  spinster  who  kept  house 
for  her  old  father,  lodged  Second  Lieut.  P>omiparte  at  some- 
what less  than  $2  a  month.     As  sub  or  second  lieutenant  of 


'5 '•:!•'<»  I  MO  THE   DAWX 


23 


thr  n-im..nt  of  La  FnT,-,  h,s  ni.mthly  inro,,,,.  wa.s  $20,  which 
i.tt.'i-  .•ill  ,ir,lm.,,„n.s,  I,. ft  him  $7  for  ,.|otii.".s  an.i  vKtvius 

I'ov,,t.v  was  on.'  of  his  h.-st   toa,-h..,-s  in  those  days,   wh... 

:    P"ll'-'l  '"   Ins   hvh  at   nu.alti.n.  and   fVaste.l   on   Rouss.-au 

\o  fauv  and  otiirr  nourisliers  of  his  mind.     When  h.  at.  a 

n.d   ,-al    wh„.h  generally  was  o,dy  once  a  day,  he  walked 

•ilonsr  the  (.rande  Ru.    n.to  the  Piaee  des  Cleres,  and  thenee 

tin.  nee  J  .^r.ons  restaurant,  with  one  ..ye  on  the  hill  of  fare 
a...l  tile  other  on  the  few  .'ents  to  whieh  h..  limit..!  his  app-.tit.. 
H.'  remained  as  unattra.-tive  in  app..aranee  as  h..  hid  b.-en 
tn.rn  hirth,  with  a  pr,.s,.nee  almost  un,.annv.  Visitin-  a  Cor 
s.-an  m  a  n..arhy  town,  the  earliest  existing  portrait"^ of  hi,n 
uas  .Irawn  !>y  h,s  youn^r  host.  It  is  a  enui.>  piece  of  art  but 
It  serv.'s  as  evid,.nee  cf  his  uncomelv  vouth 

The  only  so.-ial  life  he  could  affoi'd  was  the  simplest,  whi..}, 
l.mv.>ver.  is  a  ways  the  b.^st.  He  brought  a  letter  from  th!: 
■—  -shop  ot  \utun,  neplH.w  of  his  ohl  b,.n.daetor,  Count 
A!.  b,.u  .  the  iM'em.h  CJovernor  of  Coi^i.-a,  intro.luein^^  him 
"  t  .'  abbe  of  St.  Rutf  at  the  ol.I  abbaye,  now  tne  prefecture 
;:  ;;;  •  :''^"*^';7t.  of  tl,e  Drone,  down  near  th..  foot  of  the 
<..an,le  hue.  I  h.^  abbe  was  a  man  in  touch  witn  the  pro.^- 
ress  ot  thou-rht  and  the  Abbe  Raynal,  whom  the  boy  c^fic.Tr 
•^  so  came  to  know  th..,v.  ranked  at  the  time  among  the  fore- 
most philosophei-s  of  France. 

•it'nli?' nli''?'"-  T'  *''r  •■""^'^  '^  ''""'''^^  ^^-^'^  ^''^^  J^ft  home 
and  b,.en  brou.-ht  up  i„  a  n.onastery.  formed  an  ac 

I'.nnta.c.e  with  a  hitherto  unknown  sp.'ci.-s  of  ;he  human 
''"•'^  a  -H-l,  Mile.  Colnmbier,  and  the  shadow  of  this  little 
Hvnch  lass  was  eaucrht  for  all  time  on  the  tilms  in  the  mov- 
•  .  pMuiv  ot  Napoleon's  lif..     H.^  moth..-  invited  him  oft 

-  -hile  h..  .said  a  tenvard  that  he  was  in  love  with  niademoi: 
-I-;  -'have  no  other  detail  of  th.^ir  brief  romance  than  that 
'^',    I'i.k,.d  an.l  ate  cherri..s  to-.th.T  in  iier  on^hard 

Uoiuan  s  looks  nev..r  were  t..  b."  Napoleon's  books  The 
.'ini.sou  d.'s  let.'s  stoo.l  ..pposit..  Mil...  Hou 's  lod-ing  house 
"  o     0  ry   h..ads  sculptured  on   its   front  stilF  ^InZ 

'•^^"   '">  th..  wayfan.r  by  the  Grande  Rue.     There  used  to 


24 


IX  TlIK  FOOTSTKl'S  OF  NA1M)LK(>N' 


ft 


he  a  liookscllcr  in  llu't  linusc  of  tlic  lii'ads.  iiml  tlic  ^■auut  shaclo 
of  till'  scioikI  lirut.iiaiit  liauiits  tlic  old  place  to  this  day  Wo 
may  sec  liiiii  with  covcfoiis  ryes  still  hriidiii^r  over  the  l)ot)k 
stalls  and  calculatiiitr  liow  many  weeks  lie  nnist  wait  to  save 
enonti'li  ont  of  his  $7  of  s|iai'e  money  eaeh  month  to  luiy  souu: 
work  which  he  lonp'd  to  cai'i'y  to  his  lonely  den  across  the 
street. 

Those  were  th"  hrave  and  intrennons  days,  as  he  afterwards 
coid'cs>ed,  when  h"  would  have  died  to  uphold  th.^  social  doc- 
trines of  dean  dacqui's  Rousseau  and  when  he  read  (Joethe's 
•■Wevther"  hve  times,  while  h.'  lived  these  inouruful  lines  in 
'•Wiliieliu  .Meister:" 

\\  ho  ni-vcr  ate  Ills  lircad  in  sorrow. 
Wild   ncvi-r   sjicnt    tlic  darksome   lioiirs 
W  <r|iiiiL'  and   uatcliiiiL:   for   tlic   morrow — 
lie    knows   Vf   not.    yc   i;l(.>omy    powers. 

In  his  first  spring'  time  at  Valence,  while  the  pherries  wore 
red  on  Mme.  C'olonihier's  trees.  Najjoleou,  already  gloomy  and 
peculiar,  hut  yot  far  from  frrand,  sat  down  in  his  hare  room 
at  No.  48  and  tluis  poured  forth  upon  the  payres  of  his  diary 
the  liitterness  o^'  his  soul : 

Always  alone  when  in  the  midst  of  mm.  T  retnni  tn  my  room  to 
dream  by  myself  Mnd  to  i::ve  myself  up  to  the  mil  title  of  my  niclan- 
choly.  Wliat.  forsooili.  am  I  here  for  in  this  world?  Since  death 
must  come  to  me,  why  would  it  not  he  as  well  to  kill  myself?  .  .  . 
Since  I  beirin  life  in  suffcrim:-  mi'^fcrtmie.  and  nothin<r  k'^'P^  mP 
plc.nsnre.  why  slmulil  1  endure  these  days  when  nothing  with  which 
I  am  concenie<l  pr(js])ers? 

Xeverthek^ss  he  did  uo\  jnmp  into  tht>  Rhone.  On  tlie  con- 
trary, he  went  on  readin<r.  readinj;.  writing,  writing,  stiidy- 
iiig,  studying,  tracing  out  the  institutions  of  all  ages  and  lands 
and  training  iiis  mind  for  tiie  hidden  future.  If  he  had  read 
his  destiny  in  the  book  of  fate  he  cotdd  not  have  chosen  a 
hettei'  mental   preparation  for  it. 

When  iie  had  been  with  his  regiment  less  than  a  year,  h' 
received  a  have  of  absence  and  went  home  taking  two  trunks. 


wi^Mwii— laiii^B"  II  I.  r-' 


liKFOlJK  T[[|-:    I)A\V\ 


25 


iiiif  tlic  l!irf.'cr  one  wns  lilh-d  wiih  |„.,,ks.  AftrT  having'  Imtii 
iiuay  iirai'ly  ri<:iit  years.  I,,.  ,.;ii,i,.  ;,ack  a  Corsiraii  of  tii."( '..rsi- 
••aiis.  hut  to  liiul  til."  foitmirs  of  his  faiiiilv  at  knv  .^hh,  his 
innili,.,-  without  a  srivant  and  much  of  the  time  Iut  own  huiu- 
ih't's.s  and  scanistn'ss. 

U    did  not   r.'jniu  hh  ivduifnt  until   he  had   I n  ahscMit 

I'l-oni  It  more  than  twenty  iinintlis.  It  was  unw  at  Auxontie, 
iiiucli  farther  north  and  hetweeii  Dijon  and  the  Swiss  frontier' 
where  asrain  his  one  diversion  from  the  irksome  retrimeiital' 
routino  and  his  i:allin<r  poverty  was  atlbrded  hy  his  unlailinf,' 
triends,  liis  hooks  and  his  pen. 

'•Heaven  knows  what  j.rivations !"  he  exclaimed  when,  in 
alter  IdV.  he  looked  hack  ou  those  days  at  Auxonne.  "Do 
.you  know  how  I  manair.'d  it.'  It  was'hy  never  settiiiir  foot 
inside  a  cafe  or  appearin<r  in  the  social  world.  It  was  hy 
calmj,'dry  bread.  ...  1  lived  like  a  hear.  .  .  .  \Vh,"U  hv  dint 
of  abstinence  I  amassed  the  sum  of  twelve  livres,  I  tuni'ed  my 
st.'ps  with  the  joy  of  a  child  toward  the  shop  of  a  bookseller.'' 
The  less  he  had  and  the  less  he  ate.  the  more  he  read  and 
wrote,  the  liarder  he  worked.  (Joinjr  to  bed  at  ten,  he  was 
lip  h.v  four  and  at  his  littered  tahh-.  The  half- fed  -enius  was 
ui  a  frenzy  of  literary  composition,  turninfj  otf  nearly  thirty 
papers  on  as  many  ditVerent  subje<.ts,  only  to  he  rebutred  by 
the  i)ul)lishers  of  three  cities.  lie  wiote  historical  and  philo- 
'^•oplucal  essays,  novels  and  plays,  but  none  ever  achieved  the 
triumph  of  the  types. 

Then  the  Bastille  fed.  The  great  Revolution  was  on  and, 
spr.'adin.cr  lik<-  a  praiiue  fire,  it  was  at  Auxonne  in  five  davs' 
where  It  took  the  form  of  a  riot.  Tlu^  stirring  evnts  aroused' 
■\apoleon  from  his  literary  dreams.  He  must  have  a  part  in 
the  new  era  of  action.  But  not  in  Auxoiuie,  nor  in  Paris  nor 
anywhere  in  France.  No,  he  nuist  ha.sten  to  the  one  object  of 
his  thoughts,  Corsica. 

Turning  his  back  upon  France  in  the  midst  of  her  historj- 
niakmg  ami  going  to  Ajaceio,  it  might  almost  be  said  that  he 
carried  the  Kevoiution  with  him.     He  restlessly  promoted  the 
toriuation  of   revoli.;ionaiy  clubs  and    machinery,   while   he 
staked  the  floor  of  his  room  at  night  ivading  and  declaiming 


20 


IN  TIIH  Kool'sr Ill's  OF  NAl'ULKoN 


f'jrsar's  Conimrntiirir-,  jiml  other  iiarnitivos  of  ln-i'oii'  action, 
lie  rctiiniril  to  liis  rrixiiiMiil  ;it  Auxotnn'.  after  an  a'-sence 
of  a  year  and  three  <niarter.->.  It'  he  h;i.l  t'ou  el  it  lianl  to  live 
on  $2(1  a  month  ulieii  :ihine,  he  niu^t  ii"u  einhiie  Lifaler  hanl- 
ships,  for  he  h,nl  liroiiL'lit  liis  twelve-\  rai'-ohl  hroth-r  Louis 
witli  him.  lie  ho|>i'(l  to  i^et  tlie  hoy  into  a  military  si-hool, 
hut  while  waitiuiT  to  h;i\e  the  jrovenimeiit  take  him  oil'  iiis 
hands  he  must  he  his  teaeju  iv 

The  deseftinn  ot'  a I'istoerat ie  olliei^rN  from  the  army  thiaist 
upon  Napoleon  a  promotion  to  a  tirst  lieiiti'naney  and  If  re- 
ceived (U-ders  to  return  !•  \'-d<  iiee,  wliere  he  went  liaek  to  his 
old  lodsjiii^'s  at  .Mile  liou'^  and  i)eeame  the  >eei'etary  of  a 
vevolutionaiy  cluli.  This  was  tiie  period  of  Louis  .\  \' 1  "s  at- 
tempted tliirlit  and  arre^;.  The  tide  was  movinjr  with  inei'ciis- 
iilir  swiftnes.s — hut  .Xapoleou  uUee  more  r/tlinied  to  ('(U'siea 
to  seek  martial  '_'lory  with  the  new  island  militia  which  was 
organisinir  ,.s  a  pai-t  of  the  national  li'iiaid.  '"The  pust  of 
honour  of  a  izood  Corsican."  said  this  lieutenant  in  the  army 
of  France,  "is  in  his  own  country." 

After  a  lonir  and  exciting  struvr^'le  he  won  t!ie  election  to 
till'  lieutenant  colonelcN  ii.  the  Corsican  national  «.'u,'V(i,  At 
the  same  time,  he  raised  up  a  lifedoni;-  eiUMiiy  in  the  perNJii  of 
Carlo  Andrea  I'o/./o  di  I'.oi'.'o,  whose  family  homestead  stands 
.  this  day  on  the  i\ue  .\a|)()leon,  near  the  Bonajtaile  house. 
All  Euroi)c  l)ecame  the  thea're  of  the  veudctta  hetween  those 
two  younf;:  Corsicans.  Pozzo  provin<r  to  lie  Napoleon's  most 
relentless  nemesis.  Kchoes  of  their  feml  still  are  heai'd  in 
Ajaccio,  whither  descendants  of  Fozzo  have  brou>.'lit  stones 
from  the  <lemolishcd  ])alace  of  the  Napoleons,  the  Tnilerics  at 
I'aiMs.  and  witli  them  have  erected  a  country  house,  the  uiost 
cons])icuoiis  structure  on  t!ie  mountain  side  ahovi  the  I)a\-  of 
Ajaccio. 

In  his  ahsorbinjr  ambition  to  lead  the  Corsican  national 
frnard  .Napoleon  had  ifjnored  tiie  peremptory  order  for  all 
army  otficcrs  to  return  to  their  posts,  and  itrnored  as  well  die 
peril  of  tlu>  nation  exposed  to  foreifjn  invasion.  "  lionapartc, 
first  lieutenant,  .  .  .  has  "iven  uji  his  profession  and  l;een 
replaced  on  Fel).  6,  1792."  so  ran  the  records  of  his  rcfrinieut. 


i'.i;i'(ii;i;  riii;  dawx 


27 


f.'oiiitr  to  Tiiris  to  rccov.r  his  Jiluiiidoiir,!  phir.-  iti  the  ;irniy, 
li.'  .'lit.  ivd  tin-  cipiiiil,  out  Hi  it  j(.h  iiiid  ii  111,111  uitliuut  a  coiiii- 
try.  His  cm,, in-  w;is  \\r||  tim.'d  lor  his  t'urth.T  ('(lucatioii. 
Ktir  hr  saw  i'.iris  in  the  mi. 1st  of  th.'  |.iiinfiil  travail  tliat  at- 
t.ii.ji'.l  thi'  hirtli  oi'  fhf  lirst   lu'pulilii'. 

l-';illiiiL'  ill  With  I'.oiirri.  im.'.  his  ohl  chum  at  iii'icmic,  thcv 
-hiircd  their  poverty,  luit  I'.ourriciuic  has  insisted  that  Na- 
poleon was  the  poorer  and  had  to  [.awr  his  wat.di.  With  th- 
risiiif,'  tide  of  th.'  K.voliition  alr.'ady  up  to  their  aiikh-s,  this 
well  met  pair  w.re  so  Jitti.'  stirr.d  tlmt  th.y  coul.l  coolly  dis- 
cuss over  tiieir  six-(viit  diun.'is.  whiidi  Hourrienne  says  he 
ir.'neraliy  paid  for,  tli.^  (.p.^nmy  of  a  real  estate  agency  an.l  a 
I'lL^aii'  ijusiiiess  piirtii.'i-ship. 

<»ii..  day  in  the  Kue  d.  P..tit  Cliamns,  Xap(.leon  m.'t  "'a 
'■\o\u\  <>[■  hideous  men,"  aceordin^'  to  his  description,  bearinjr 
alolt  a  huinaii  head  on  a  i)il<e.  'j'hey  d.mianded  that  he  cry 
"Vive  hi  Nation,"  and  he  has  assured  us,  "1  did  it  without 
'lit'tii'ulty,  as  yon  may  believe."  The  yomii;  dis.-i|)le  of  Uous- 
-iiii  w;is  hein.,'  introduced  at  close  r;in^'.  to  the  terrihie  reali- 
tiis  of  the  Revolution  which  to  him  had  been  oulv  an  ab- 
•^trjiction. 

He  ;ind  Hourri.'ime  followed  th.-  m.)b  in  its  fii-st  attack  on 
til"  Tuileri('s  in  .June,  17!»2,  and,  from  the  terraced  iiank  of 
tlic  Seine,  viewed  a  riotous  assembla^'e  swarming?  in  the  palace, 
'•lioppin.,'  its  way  throii^di  the  doors  with  hat<-hets  and  com- 
pc^MiK  1h.'  Kins,'  to  put  on  the  re.l  cap  o':  liberty.  Bourrienne 
i'"p.»rts  his  companion  indi>rnant!y  shoufin<r,  "\vhy  have  thev 
lyt  in  all  that  rabbh-?  They  should  sweep  otf  400  or  ,')()()  of 
'I 'in  with  the  cannon;  the  rest  of  them  would  then  set  otf  fast 
"cni-jrh."  In  a  letter  to  a  lirother,  Napoleon  soleiiinlv  com- 
!;i'  iit.Ml  on  the  occurrence.  "All  this  is  unconstitutional  and 
-'Is  a  very  dangerous  example;  it  is  difficult  to  see  what  will 
I— oine  of  the  Empire  under  these  stormy  circumstances." 

\Mi.>n  the  palace  wa.s  sacked  in  ^\ufrust,  liourrienne  was 
i-'oMe  from  Paris,  but  his  friend  was  loitering  in  the  streets  as 
usual  and  was  caught  up  in  the  swirling  tumult.  There  were 
^hops  in  those  days  between  the  Louvre  and  the  Tuileries, 
where  Napoleon's  Arch  of  the   Carrousel  now  stands,   and 


f 


28 


IX  Tin:  FOO'I'STKl'S  OF  NAI'OLKOX 


i;oiirri(iiii<''s  uiiclf  krjjt  one  of  th'iii.  Tliithrr  Napoleon  has- 
triifd  to  watrli  tlu>  .storiiiiiij,'  of  llh'  |ialiic('.  the  deadly  battle 
lietweeii  tile  people  and  tile  S\vi>s  (liial'd,  and  tile  tlijrlit  of  the 
royal  family  to  the  natKnial  ass^ndily  in  the  tennis  cixirt, 
nhosi'  site  is  now  occupied  hy  the  Hotel  Continental. 

While  in  I'aris  Napoleon  not  oidy  siieceeded  in  havin;,'  his 
name  restored  to  the  aiiny  iists,  hut  also  received  pi-omotion  to 
a  captaincy.  Vet,  with  the  (iermanson  French  sod  and  I'aris 
passing  into  the  dai'k  shadows  of  the  Heiirn  of  Teri'or,  lie 
heLTL'ed  another  leave  and  i'ttui'ne,|  once  more  to  the  little 
island  out  oi  the  world.  ile  had  now  been  in  the  army  seven 
years,  iMid  ahsent  from  duty  moi'c  than  half  the  time! 

In  tile  course  of  the  followin;^  winter  in  Cuv  ,  he  took 
pai't  fur  the  lii-st  time  in  a  militaiw  eampaitrn  as  c'inimander 
of  the  artiller\-  in  an  expcditimi  dcsJL'ned  to  carry  the  Kevo- 
lution  into  the  iieiLrhlioui'in^  island  of  Sardinia.  In  the  loni; 
pei'iod  of  prepai'ation  he  was  at  Bonifacio,  a  wi'irdly  pic- 
tures(pie  C'orsiean  ])ort,  where  he  lodtred  0|>|>osite  the  old  house 
in  which  Charles  V  sta\ed  more  than  two  centuries  before. 
The  expedition  resulted  in  a  liasco,  and  the  lionapartists,  ac- 
eusini:  I'aoli  of  desiring  the  failure  of  the  eampaiirn,  the  breach 
between  the  youiitr  Corsican  and  the  old  irrew  wider  still. 

While  both  Were  ferxent  Corsicans.  one  had  received  his 
political  traiiuni:  in  ICn^rland  and  tlic  other  in  France.  As 
the  Kevolution  developed.  Paoli  was  steadily  driven  back  upon 
the  English  moderation  which  he  had  ac(iuii'ed  in  his  exile 
among  a  jieople  who  always  believe  in  going  ahead  slowly. 
In  the  v;'ins  of  the  younger  man  the  warm  blood  of  Italy 
coursed  untamed.  He  was  still  Italian  and  something  iiioi-c 
intense  than  that,  a  Corsican,  and  not  yet  the  calculating  nuiu 
of  the  great  world. 

When  early  in  179:5  war  was  declared  between  France  and 
England,  Corsicans  liad  to  choose  between  the  French  who 
held  the  forts  of  the  island  and  the  British  whose  warships 
lay  at  the  harbour  mouths.  Turning  with  a  shudder  from 
France  under  the  Terror.  Paoli  naturally  looked  to  his  Eng- 
lish friends  ami  wclcoTUcd  an  English  protectorate.     Napoleon. 


I'.KKOIJI-;  Tin:  D.WVX 


29 


■"i  111.'  "tlicr  Ik.iuI,  eh,,-,,.  ;t  l,n,a.l  path  ard  l),.ra,iir  a   Fivnrl,- 
niaii  at    la.st. 

Aftrr  vai-ious  a.lvnitiirt's  Uv  joiiicl  tlir  ivpivscifativrs  .,f 
!li'-  I'tviicli  iTvdIutioiiary  govfriinicnt  in  tlir  island  aii.l  .■n- 
isw^rd  in  u  iuotlrss  .■x|.r,|itiua  ()tvi.ni.M..l  to  cai.tiuv  Ajai-cio 
troia  th.'  I'aohsts.  D.^spairiiier  of  the  succi.vs  „f  this  inovv- 
incnt  hr  snit  a  couri.T  to  warn  his  laoflirr.  "Prepare  your- 
M  If.  '  he  wi-ote,  --this  co.intry  is  not  tor  us." 

l-li/ia  was  lyin-  on  a  coueli  in  tiie  |{ona|.arte  hou.se  one 
■^'Min^'  when  tlie  eourier  and  a  han.i  of  faithful  foliowrs 
I  Nist  m  upon  her.  As  .she  sprat,-  up  she  feare.j  she  was  in 
•  "•  I'Hiids  ot  the  I'aolists,  out  hy  tlie  |i^,ht  of  their  pine  torehes 
slie  reroirnised  tile  roii-ii  hut  frien.ily  niountain..ers  who  had 
'"ine  to  save  her.  '-I'.,,  .p.i.-k,  Sijr,„,,.i  Leti/ia!"  eried  the 
I'.HJer.  "I'aoli  s  people  are  hard  on  our  heels.  There  is  uot 
<i  'nntnent  to  lose.      We  will  saw  vou  or  die  with  you'" 

With  the  Ahhe  Feseh,  jier  son  Louis  an.!  ii.T  dau-hters 
Mini  an.l  Pauline  she  Hed  alon-  tho  shore,  haviiiir  been  ohli-ed 
to  l.'ave  helun.i  two  of  her  eliildren,  Caroline  and  Jerome  wiio 
were  too  youn-  to  endure  the  hardships  of  .su.'h  a  journey 
i.toiv  inormu-  th,>  PaoUsts  had  hroken  info  the  homestead 
"1  'he  Hue  St.  Charh's  and  hy  smashin-  and  hurninj,'  they  laid 
waste  the  interior  of  the  liouse. 

I'lainly  the  fortum.s  of  the  Honapartes  were  at  an  end  in 
'II'"  island.  They  had  been  driven  from  their  iiome  and  de- 
■"•iinee,!  hy  formal  re.solutiou :  "Jt  is  beneatli  the  di-ruitv  of 
'  •;■  Cofsiean  peo[.le  to  trouble  themselves  about  the  families 
ot  .\ivna  and  Honaparte;  th.y  abandon  them  to  th.'ir  own 
pnvate  remorse  and  to  publie  opinion,  which  has  alr.'adv  eon- 
'It'iin.'d  them  to  perpetual  e.xeeration  and  infamv  "        ' 

lii.j  proscribed  Honapartes  gathered  under  a  friendly  roof 
an  alvi  and  watched  for  an  opi)ortunity  to  escape  from  their 
J'^'tive  land  As  Calvi  was  their  last  refu-e  in  Corsica,  so  it 
I'-ame  the  last  refuge  of  all  who  resisted  the  transfer  of  the 
island  to  Lngland.  Climbing  up  from  the  harbour,  cun- 
"inulv  bid  ,n  the  mountains,  to  the  old  town,  a  civic  mummv 
-aled  m  Its  two  or  three  casings  of  stony  battlements,  the 


:?n 


T\  TIIK  FOOTSTKPS^  OI'  \,\  l'(>IJ:<  A' 


f  r'!i\  illir  tiiiiN  t'liUi's  two  lu-ciinlist  Iniiisfs  iiisrrilird  on  its 
tiiin'srjirrrcl  nrni  lnill.t  fi.idlril  walls.  'I'Ih'  tirst  is  fiiLTravi'd 
iil)()\''  its  ',Mti-:  "Alwiiss  l''ail  lil'iil,'"  ami  tlir  mtoihI  is 
ciifvi'd  (III  !i  liiap  1)1'  iiiiiis  \shii-li  |iiii|ioits  to  lia\i'  hcni  tin- 
liir'tli|ilacr  i>\'  ( 'liiist(i|i!i,f  ('((1111111)118. 

Whilr  Cahi  has  not  rstahlislii'il  this  Ijittt-r  honst  to  thi'  .sat- 
ist'iii't iuii  of  histiii'v,  it  niadr  <.'()()ii  its  othci'  hoast  hrl'ori'  it  siii"- 
riiiilt'r-rd  to  tlh-  Miiu'lish  >lii|i>  in  IT'iJ.  I'ov  it  In-ld  out  until 
2."(,OiiO  luillrts.  (i.')(iii  hoiiihs  and  loHil  shells  had  raiiiccl  upon  it, 
and  it  looks  to-day  as  it'  it  ''ad  as  many  scat's  as  that  to  show 
I'oi'  till'  lon^  sii'U'i'.  Htsidis  lloi'atio  Ndson  jiaid  an  cvi — tli'' 
histoi'ii'  ivr.  whirji  al'ti'i'wai'd  wnn  the  I'.attle  ol'  ( 'opmhaj^i'ii — 
for'  his  pait  in  the  snhjuuMtion  of  this  stuMnu'ii  old  town. 

Thr  r.t'itish  t'riLMtrs  wri'r  ali'rady  ijatlin-in'.,'  olT  ('alvi  when 
the  pfow  of  a  little  Ijoat.  with  its  ('ar;,'o  of  i'litiiie  sover'eiLTus 
and  pi'iiiees  cut  tiiroiii.'h  the  waters  on  \'ai)oleoM"s  first  exile 
ami  bore  him  fi'om  the  moimtaiiioiis  shore  to  his  destiny.  ( 'or- 
siea  iievef  lias  ei'ased  to  I'epeiit  lie?'  hatiisliment  of  him  or' 
wearied  in  hrin^'in^r  forth  works  meet  for  epmtanee.  lioni: 
a^'o  she  niianimously  ratified  his  elioiee  of  nationality  and  is 
to-day  as  i-'reihli  as  i-'ranee. 

The  .\jareiaiis  indi'ed  arc  still  voting'  for  N'apoleon.  Tlie 
island  as  a  whole  may  have  been  more  or  less  won  oxer  to  the 
iu'puhlie.  At  least  candidates  hcarintr  the  repuhlican  lahcl 
are  elected  to  sit  in  the  ehamher  of  deputies  at  I'aris.  althouLdi 
some  of  them  never  overcome  the  suspicion  of  the  niinistry 
that  they  are   l>()nai)artists  in  dis^niise. 

A.jaci'io  does  not  stoop  to  dis.scmhle.  She  is  Honaiiartist 
first,  last  and  all  the  time.  An  .\jaccian  returns  from  a  pil- 
irrima-re  to  I'rinee  Victor  at  Bnissels  like  a  .Malionietan  from 
IMcc'Pa.  and  the  <,'las,ses  clink  at  the  Cafe  Xa|)oleon  on  the 
fours  Xapoleoii  to  the  health  and  success  of  the  pretender  to 
the  throne  of  the  Honapartes.  Kvery  man  in  the  street  seems 
to  he  sayins  to  the  passin-,'  stranjrer:  "Heliold,  I  am  of  the 
Napoleon  breed,  and  N'apoleon  was  nothing  more  than  a  Corsi- 
caii  who  liad  a  fair  cliauee  in  tlie  world  I" 


PI 


^1 


r'TTAPTr:^  TV 

'''"'■'   MAN   ()\   lloK-SKHAriv 

1793-179.-,      .\(JR   23_2(, 

("-  ,.|,.,l,..s         V  '••■'•    ""lil-nlly    Muuv   than    ,1,.. 

^"-  'Ih.  swo^d        A    ,         T    '    ""•''■'•'"'<'"^'  "•'"■tli.T  with  tl...  ,„.„ 
•ii"-  nu  Hv     i  '  ;        *  ^""'"'  ^^'"'""^  '^  I.ul.lislH.r.  a  so 

'"•oth.Ts  and  ss  '        0     m         ""  ""  '""'  '"•'  '''^  '""•'"■•■  '"-'J 


Qi  ""     " '"    ''i    'n'iuu. 


;i2 


IN  TlIK   FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLEON 


After  Niipohnii  ha.l  .Iriftrd  about,  unattached  and  doing  odd 
johs  lor  the  army,  iie  ret\irned  to  T()uh)ii  and  asked  his  I'ol'ow- 
Corsieaii.    Saliee'tti,   to   let    him   take   part   in  tlie  siege  ther'\ 
Tluis  at  the  end  ol"  suimner,  lie  was  ha<'k  at  his  starting  poirt. 
hut  this  time  he  was  not  n;  the  bread  line,     lie  had  eonie  now 
to  inscribe  the  name  of  Toulon  lirst  on  the  list  of  Ins  victcnes. 
The  obscure  little  artilleryman  at  once  felt  lus  superiority 
to  the  amateur  talent  engaged  in  the  sieue,  and   he  quickly 
saw  that  the  I'ebellious  town,  rioating  the  wl  ite  banner  of  tiic 
Bourbons,  was  enabled  to  n.aintain  its  ivsistanee  to  the  Re- 
public onlv  bv  tlie  assistance  of  the  warships  of  England  aiiu 
other  uations\vhieh   lay  in  its  two  harbours,     llis  strategic 
eye   lighted  on  this  single    fact   and    igi  oivd  all   else.     (!en- 
e'ral  Carteaux,  the  commander,  in  hurling  his  soldiers  against 
the  forts  !:•  the  rear  of  the  town  had  only  been  pulling  the 
coat-tails  o'.   Toulon.     Napolon,  like  a  good  anatomist,  saw 
that  the  one  and  only  thing  to  do  was  to  take  Toulon  l)y  its 
harbour  throat  and  c"hoke  it  into  submission.     AVhih-  the  ships 
remainetl,  it  was  as  absurd  to  capture  tlie  place  as  it  would 
be  to  eai)nire  a  red-hot  <tove.     It  could  not  be  lu-Ul ;  it  would 
have  to  be  dropped. 

When  a  eouncil  of  war  was  liehl  to  listen  to  some  h-ngthy 
instnictions  from  the  i)arh)ur  strategists  of  Paris,  telling  just 
how  Toulon  should  be  taken,  the  h'aii  and  sallow  captain  ot 
artillerv  rose  to  dissent.  ^Stepping  to  a  military  map,  he 
placed  his  linger  on  a  point  of  land  at  tlie  mouth  of  the  har- 
bour, several  miles  from  the  fortilications  of  the  town,  and 
.said  in  a  trulv  Napoleonic  epigram,  "Toulon  is  there!" 

Napoleons  startling  aniionncement  that  Toulon  is  not  at 
Toulon  inav  be  verilh-d  to-day.  It  is  really  at  the  next  station, 
La  Sevne,'a  Imsy  shiivhuilding  town  of  20,000  population, 
with  ferries  and  street  cai-s  ninning  between  it  and  the  hirger 
place  across  the  harbour.  The  fierce  wind  which  tears  down 
the  valley  of  tlu'  Rhone,  lilows  through  the  town  in  a  whirling 
mistral  past  sidewalks  littered  with  empty  cafe  tables,  past 
the  high  wall  of  a  shipyard  to  rE-uilietie.  There  a  greca 
hill  rises  f-'oni  the  road;  there  Naiu.leoii  revived  his  real  bap- 
tism of  lire  and  there  he  first  tasted  success. 


THE  MAX  OX  HORSEBACK 


3:3 


Tlie  British  had  also  ivco^Miiscd  the  vital  importance  of  this 
I'nmioiit'.ry  and  hefoiv  Xapoicon  couhl  set  up  a  l)atfcry  they 
l.indfd  and  stron^'ly  fortilicd  the  p(,int,  iiaiiiinf,'  th.'ir  i)rinci- 
pal  lort,  "Little  (iiliraltar."  i^ut  they  verv  kiiidlv  I.ft  him 
-I  -ommandm-  li.'i<rht  elose  hy  and  there  ho  immediately  be-aii 
to  erect  his  batteries.  ° 

One  of  liis  forts  was  aimost  within  pistol  shot  of  "Little 
diiiraltar"  and  hy  iso  means  an  inviting'  place.  Hut  it.s 
iMiilder  nailed  to  it  a  sign  on  which  was  nidelv  printed  iii  big 
letters  this  Ic'rend  : 


THK  HATTKRY  OF  MKX 

\^"ITH()^T  fi;ai{ 


That  was  onon<rh,  and  volunteers  swarmed  into  the  perilous 
pbe-e.  Their  commander  daily  showed  his  contempt  for  dan- 
ger Onee  while  he  was  dictating  a  report  to  a  sergeant  a 
shed  ourst  on  the  earthworks  H,ove  their  heads  and  eoveivd 
vMfh  .hri  the  undried  ink.  The  soldier  onlv  smiled  at  this 
'!"M'  call  and  coolly  said  as  he  shook  the  sheet:  "Good'  I 
^'  n.  t  need  any  sand  to  blot  this."'     The  admiring  commander 

■  -ognised  a  man  after  his  own  heart  and  in  that  hickv  moment 
-■  i-Lvant  Junot  had  bound  iiimself  for  life  to  the  fortuncv  of 
^a[)oleon. 

"n  a  wild  and  stormy  night  in  December,  1793,  nearly  two 
'M-nths  alter  Xapoh-oirs  arrival  at  Toulon,  when  the  "wind 
"^^  howling  and  blowing  the  rain  in  sheets  and  the  Ibditnin- 
'  '-I:-!  |.Hd  trashed  in  the  darkness,  his  plan  of  ca.npaigu  was 
l"t  to  the  supreme  test.  Against  the  advice  of  the  commis- 
^;"n,rs  and  notwithstanding  the  fears  of  most  of  the  otTicers 
I'  ■  I'rcnch   uuule  a  dash  at  "Little  Oibraltar."     Thev  were 

'ten  bac.  again  and  again.     P.ut  the  liuht  ••ontinucd  until 

■  '•'-  o  ..lock  m  the  morning,  when  with  his  men  b.  hind  him 
P'aiu  Muiron,  to  the  undying  admiration  of  Xapoleon' 
'"l"'u  the  slope  of  th..  enemy's  fort,  rushed  through  a  breach 


Clllll 


34 


IN  TIIK  FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLEON 


in  its  wall,  and  cut  down  the  Englisli  and  Spaniards  at  their 
guns. 

"Little  Gibraltar"  lost,  the  other  shore  1)atteries  of  the 
British  were  useless.  Tiieir  defenders  leaped  into  the  water 
and  swam  to  the  sliips.  Just  as  Napoleon  had  predicted  weeks 
before,  the  town  of  Toulon  fell  without  receiving  a  shot.  Tlie 
fleet  hurried  away,  the  magazines  were  blown  uj)  in  a  terrific 
exj)losion,  and  the  flames  from  tlie  burruiig  stores  lit  the  sky, 
while  the  population  of  Toulon  struggled  to  escape  by  sea 
from  Robespierre's  avenging  messengers. 

Thi-  liistovic  hill  rising  from  rE,:,ntiih'tte  bears  to  this  day 
the  name  of  Fort  Napoleon.  Among  its  bushes  still  may  be 
•.raced  tlie  earthwoi'k.s  uiu-re  stood  the  men  of  the  "Battery 
^Vithout  Fear,"  while  high  above  its  grassy  summit  the  flag 
of  France  rides  the  gale. 

Down  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  is  an  ol(".  grey  fort  which  Car- 
dinal Kichelieu  constructed,  and  beyond  are  the  green  parks 
and  red  roots  of  tlie  villas  of  ship  i)uilders  and  merchants  in 
the  pretty  seaside  suburb  of  Taiearis,  in  one  of  which  "(ieorge 
Sands"  wrote  )ier  romance  of  that  mime,  while  on  the  other 
hand,  the  mountainous  side  of  Six  Fours  forms  a  liackground. 

Standing  on  Napoleon's  hill  it  is  plainly  to  be  seen  that 
"Toulon  is  here,"  and  that  the  French  have  not  forgotten  the 
lesson  taught  by  Napoleon.  For  to-day  tlie  entire  shoi-e  is  the 
lii  ling  place  of  modern  batteries  for  the  proteciion  of  the  great 
nav.d  port  of  Fram-e. 

His  first  bi'ttle  lirought  the  little  artilleryman  the  rank  of 
'nigadier  geneial  and  an  assignment  to  the  Army  of  Italy, 
as  the  French  for?e  destined  for  an  Italian  campaign  was 
called.  As  the  youthfrl  brigadier  passed  along  the  lovely 
Kiviera  on  his  various  missions  to  and  fro,  he  looked  up  the 
narrow  pa.sses,  the  open  gates  in  the  great,  high  walls  of  the 
I\Iaritime  Aljis,  which,  like  huge  breakwaters,  rise  almost  sheer 
from  the  ivory  shore  of  the  .Mediterram-.m.  It  was  while  peer- 
ing through  those  gat. 'ways  to  Italy  that  a  plan  of  campai.u'H 
far  greater  tiian  that  of  Toulon  starteil  in  his  mind. 

.lust  then  there  came  another  revolution  in  Paris.  It  was 
Robespierre's  turn  at  the  guillotine,  and  as  his  head  fell  in  tlif 


i 


< 


-^'"      >'-U:l\      I'diMliA 


"    '"    ^^I'-i.n.N.   v.,    n.un.v 


^'T'^Bttfe" '-y  tf^i 


THE  .MAX  OX  HORSEBACK 


35 


Milk,  the  new  parly  in  tln'  crovfrnmciit  at  oikv  liofraii  to  mark 
niit  for  thf  same  fate  all  llii'  cliiel'  assofiati'S  of  the  fallen 
T-  rrorist. 

Xiipolcoii  (|iiickly  found  liMtiself  in  a  eell  and  under  orders 
111  ivpurt  in  I'aris,  whose  other  name  \va.s  the  ^'uillotine  in  those 
il;i\s.  fortunately  for  the  i)risoner,  the  truillotine  was  »veary 
ill  last,  and  after  ei-rlit  days  in  eonlincnient  he  was  liberated, 
i  li!  only  to  meet  trouhles  no  liss  annoyinj^. 

Oi'dcred  to  join  the  infantry  in  the  Army  of  the  West,  he 
\' ■  lit  to  Paris  to  remonstrate  a'-'ainst  liis  transfer  from  the 
.111 ilk ry.  The  orders  were  not  ehau<red.  hut  he  contrived  to 
-()  over  the  head  of  the  i)ureauerat  who  had  assijj^ned  him  to 
li;  ■  infantry  and  lie  jiained  the  attention  of  more  powerful 
III'  II  in  the  frovernmeiit. 

Till-  dream  of  the  Orient,  whieh  was  Ion?  to  haunt  him, 
I  ;iini'  to  him  now  and  he  induced  the  authorities  to  order  him 
til  Turkey  for  tli(>  pui'pose  of  trainin<r  and  strengthening  the 
aiiiiy  of  the  Sultan  as  a  possible  ally  of  France.  On  the  same 
'i;iy  that  he  obtained  this  favour  from  one  department,  his 
iMiiie  was  erased  from  th,>  list  of  j^etierals  by  another  depart- 
:'  111  because  he  had  (lisrej;tardcd  no  less  than  three  orders  to 
.i"iii  the  Army  of  the  West.  While  he  wa«  in  this  pli<,'ht, 
!"iMly  strivin<ir  to  have  his  name  restored  ami  to  get  together  a 
st.iir  for  Ids  Constantinople  trip,  the  real  opportunity  of  his 
life  came  to  him  in  the  very  streets  of  Paris. 

All  .American  visitors  in  the  French  capital  have  seen,  but 
probably  few  have  observed  the  battlefield  where  Napoleon 
won  a  victory  as  important  and  decisive  as  any  that  ever  fell 
to  his  sword.  For  there  he  took  Paris.  This  field  lies  in  the 
'  ■  I  \'  heart  of  tlu  city,  in  the  familiar  Paris  of  the  tourist, 
itueeii  the  l)oulevards  and  the  river,  with  the  Tuileries  as 
tile  focal  point. 

'Hie  broad  steps  of  the  Church  of  St.  Roch  in  the  Rue  St. 
Ilniiore  are  a  famous  landmark  on  this  liattletield.  There, 
«ith  his  "whiff  of  grapeshot,"  the  little  artilleiyman  really 
'  '"iL'ht  the  great  Revolution  to  an  end. 

Tlic   pi-ople  lontred   for  repose  and  a  peaceful   adjustment 

to   the    new    COIKlitinns;  Rllt    wi'llnmiliir    Tx-ilitii.i'iriL.-    otwl    Tj/->if;.ir» 


36 


IN  THE  FOOTSTKl'S  OF  NAl'OLEON 


Rourbons  ^voul(l  not  let  the  -Republic  rest  aiul  onco  more  Pans 
was  tlimitciuHl  with  an  uiu'isiiP,'.  'I'hr  tiov.Tiiin.'iit  ot  Ww  day 
naturally  cnouizli  tunu'.l   to  tii.'   friciuilfss  youn^  oiliciT  out 

of  a  job.  .  ,      /-,  1  1 

Tho  attempted  revolution  eainc  one  day  in  early  t.'etoDer. 
in  tlie  year  ITD.'j.  It  was  by  no  means  a  ra-r^'ed  mob  wbieh 
moved  "throujih  tlie  streets  toward  tho  old  royal  riding'  scIkm.I 
-_whe>v  the  Hotel  Continental  now  is— on  the  l;5th  \  ende- 
.niaire,  aeeordin'.'  to  the  republiean  calendar.  This  Bourbon 
and  revolutionarv  uprising,'  mij,dit  properly  be  called  a  broad- 
cloth mob.  but  it  really  was  not  a  mob  at  all.  It  was  au  army 
whose  main  force  consisted  of  no  less  than  ;50,0()U  or  40.000 
armed  and  drilled  troops  of  the  national  fxuard.  Napoleon  s 
forces,  on  the  other  hand,  nund)ered  only  5000  or  6000  sol- 
diers, or  regulars,  as  we  would  say,  but  they  had  ^he  cruel 
advantatrc  of  artillery.  . 

As  the  insurrectionary  troops  from  vario\is  directions  drew 
near  their  ^'oal,  they  were  met  always  at  the  vital  point  by 
the  cannon  of  the  much  smaller  but  more  soldu-rly  forces  ot 
regular  and  Vi'teran  troops.  Everywhere  they  were  con- 
fnmted  bv  a  plan  of  eampaitm  in  which  nothuifr  bad  been 
k.ft  to  chance.  Napoleon  had  treated  the  s(}uare  mile  of  city 
streets  surroundinfi  the  Tuileri.'s  like  a  chess  board,  and  the 
defensive  forces  had  b.'cn  posted  at  all  the  vanta-ie  poin*'^  by 
a  master  of  stratcfzy.  ...  i 

For  houi-s  the  two  forces  had  stood  stock  still,  facing  each 
other,  in  the  Rue  St.  llonore,  when  late  in  the  afternoon 
some 'one  fired  a  wild  shot  from  an  upper  window  of  a  house 
close  bv  the  Church  of  St.  Roch.  That  shot  was  the  lighted 
match  "in  the  powder  and  a  fusillade  instantly  followed,  the 
..(•ho  of  which,  floating  throu-b  the  streets,  was  the  signal  tor 
an  outbreak  at  other  points. 

Soon  the  crackling  reverlierations  of  the  musk.'ts  were  lost 
in  the  awful  boom  of  the  cannon,  which  shook  the  windows 
of  Paris.  The  musketry  wavered,  rallied  for  a  moment  and 
then  fled  in  a  wild  rout.  In  an  hour  it  was  all  ended,  with 
200  dead  Iving  in  the  streets.  When  th"  bells  in  the  towers 
r  .1 ■*  ...,..;+„i  c+..ii,.i-  t\»-..lv.'  :ii-  niidniffht  their  peals  rang 


Tin-:   MAN  ON   llOKSKHACK 


n\.  !■  ii  city  as  (jiiift  as  a  countryside  after  a  thunder  sliower. 
After  years  of  turbulence  Paris  had  met  iter  master.  In 
thiit  crowded  liour,  she  liad  seen  liim  here,  there  and  every- 
uiicre.  his  lonrr  hair  fallinjr  over  his  shoulders,  liis  tiiin  boyish 
U'^nrr  wreatiied  in  the  smoke  of  liis  cannon,  but  not  yet  know- 
inu'  even  the  nam<>  of  .Xapoh'on  lionaparte,  she  spoke  of  the 
lny^te^iolls  stranger  only  as  ■'thf  man  on  horseback." 


I 


CTTAPTKU  V 

A   1.1  »\K  STdUV 

WIIILK  all  I  'ifis  was  lidwiiii.'  lirfniv  the  victor  of 
\'rii(i.Miiiaiiv  ill  1711'',  tin-  miiqurror  himself  \va> 
coiKlunvd  ami  ihr  liltlr  artillfiyiiiau  was  vaii- 
(|uisliiMl  hy  tlir  littlr  iKiwinaii. 

I'ilotni  li\-  t'ortuiic  tVdiii  opposite  ends  of  tlic  oarth,  otic 
IVdiii  the  old  wm-l.j.  the  ollici'  iVoiii  llif  iirw,  one  from  an 
island  in  llu'  .Mrdilfn'aiiran.  the  otlier  from  an  inland  in  tli'' 
Cai-ilihraii.  a  Ixiy  and  a  t:irl.  a  Coi'sican  and  a  CitoIc,  Xa- 
|)olc(iii  and  .loscphiiic,  landed  on  IIm'  shore  of  i-'i'ancc  in 
17TS-7M.  llii'  lio\-  to  cntfi'  a  sclioul  for  the  youthfid  nuliility, 
till'  irirl  to  lit'  till'  hi'idr  lA'  a  iiol>liMnan. 

After  !ivc  years  Imth  were  in  I'aris,  hut  as  ctVcctually  di- 
vided hy  the  nai'i'ow  Seine  as  when  in  ehihlliood  the  wide 
seas  rolled  hetweeii  lliein.  Leaviiie'  the  eapital,  the  Corsieaii 
I'ctui'ned  to  his  native  land,  the  Civole  to  hers,  only  to  he 
(■aii<:ht.  hoth  iif  them,  in  the  wide-si)readiim-  whirlpool  of  the 
Kevolution  and  diawii  tot,'etlier  at  its  eentre. 

Onee  moi'e  ill  France,  hut  still  unknown  to  each  other,  tliev 
drifted  aliout  for  tud  or  three  years  without  crossinir  paths. 
The  IJeiirn  of  Tei'ror  came,  and  while  Napoleon  was  winning 
liis  tirst  laurels  under  Kohespierre  at  'rmilon.  .losephine  was 
thrown  into  prison  and  her  hushand  sent  to  the  euillotinc, 
With  Hi)hes|.ienv"s  fall  they  ehamred  jilaces.  the  lu'ison  door 
swin<;inir  open  for  -losephine  and  closinij  in  upon  Napoleon. 

Thus  for  lifteen  years  did  pi'anki>h  fortune  sport  with 
this  pair. 

Josephine's  life  was  filled  with  vicissitudes  not  less  straiiL'f 
than  Naitoleoifs.  She  was  ilesi-eiideil  from  a  famil\-  of  ili^' 
jioor  count i-y  nobility  of  Franc  which  had  emi|.'rated  to  tlir 


IslillK 
Her   1 

l.slet.s, 
Ills   (ii 

licr  a 
Pa^'er 
Wli 
cane  .' 
and  Ml 
place, 
lip  .siir 
III'  nuv 

Tile, 

play  in; 

the  hui 

and  he 

a  cofivi 

Troi.v 

iiiiilitio! 

iiioriiin 

.N'ot  cvi 

of  a  fo 

SUM.     > 

tli;it  oMi 

iliii-  two 

licfor 

";is  tile 

the  srovc 

Ale.xand 

.Mine.  1,', 

hitioii  w 

Ills   ^011. 

fniislicd 
turned  ( 
p(Kinir  tl 
rci|ii...stf( 
Was  sf'vei 
While 


A  uni:  sToK'v 


r\9 


|-!.n..I  of  M.rtini,,,,..  ]..ss  ,1,.,,   forty  y.ars  I,..fo,.,.   I,„,.  |,i,„, 
s^1^a.•ross,lH.,,ay,V..U.^,MW,.^Van:     ..,  ;,^^ 

\\lMM,  the  little  (■n.ul..ua.s  only  tinv,..  a   W.st   ln,|ian  hum 

--';;;-  -slHt  hut  th.kitHH.n  win.  to. ,aH<h,;h,;: 

-'  -  1'    M,.n.y.|     „nutun.  as  h.  ..H.ld  lin,l  iu  th,.  wr.ka^^^^^^^ 
''■:'-•'    '--n.ly.ntoth,.  loft  of  his  suu.u-Mnll 

';''■'■'•  •''-■pl-iH,.  ,Mvu-  up.  ,.a,v-fr,.,.  au,lha,,,,v  as  h.r  hl.M.k 
l:''':-inat,.s.   a    troop  of  |it,l„  shnvs  arrav,..|     ,  'th-     i'r     \f 

■    '!  '-'  only  .svhoohn.  uas  recei^.d  it.  two  or  thn-e  t.r ms  at 
''  ""i\rnt  ui  Fort  (I,'  Franc," 
■I>"is  Ish.ts  ha.l  uo  so,iaI  iif.  to  nstrnin  h-r  uith  its  for- 

.     !"    ''"    P    'Pli.vy  sh..  ha.l  h.ani  pro.ioun-,.,!  in  th.  hut 
',      '-'''7'    '■'•'■  '-tHslKMou-  upon  this  d.u.ht.r  oft   e 

Alexiin.lr,..!     !•  ■  J^'aiHv  Ins  son,  the  V  s.-ount 

™*v'::.:;:,'T:;;;r,:h^;t^;:t,.;rT?-"l";;--" 


I'l  l|ll(Sli 


'^"-'■\  '"'t  the  liandofayoun.^vr.iausht.Twas 
wns  sevent.!',',':'""      "'  ''"  *""  """"  ""'  ^^^'^  "^-'  "'''i^li 

^Vhilf  that  letter  was  nn   itv  ..i,>,..   .......  .,,.•  ,    ,         . 

•  •..    ......  ..,. .  KiUii  liaiiirriicr 


40 


!N'  Tlin  FOOTSTEPS  OF  XAPOLKO?: 


(U.mI,  lint  M.  Tiischcf  rose  to  the  .•mcrirnicy  likf  m  liorn  diplo- 
mat.  After  rccDfdiii",'  \uv  dejitli  in  lii^  rfply  to  tlic  ManjiMs 
111'  atVccti'd  tootVcr  tin-  third  daiit^'litcr,  who  was  not  yet  twelvi'. 
Then  lie  added  ill  a  sly  postseriia  that  he  I'eare.l  .lo>"i)liiiie 
wouhl  he  put  out.  liy  her  oiiiivsiou  from  the  journey  to  Frame 
and  tiuit  he  wished"  lie  could  send  hotii  twirls.  "But  how  can 
I  separate  a  mother  from  lier  two  remainiiiir  dau^,'hters.  so 
soon  after  the  third  has  been  snateli(<l  from  her  by  death?" 
By  this  time  the  Maniuis  notilied  M.  Tasdier  to  send  over 
whie'  ver  <.;irl  he  pleased  and  t'Veii  sent  authority  for  the 
annuuiieemeiit  of  the  hanns  at  Fort  de  Franee.  generously 
leaving  a  blank  line  for  the  name  of  tlie  i)ride.  Of  eoiirso 
Josepliiiie's  name  was  inserted,  and  on  this  left-handed  invi- 
tation, she  sailed  for  Franee  in  the  company  of  her  fatiier, 
landing  at  Brest  with  her  doll  in  her  arms. 

Tliis  not  i)ein^'  a  love  story  it  is  well  to  finish  it  speedily. 
Alexandre  and  dosephiiie  were  mai-ried  and  went  to  live  in 
the  town  and  country  mansions  of  the  Beauhaniais.  Utterly 
unr.uited  and  usi  "ess  to  each  other,  the  Viscount  happily  eoiiM 
stay  away  much  of  the  time  with  the  army,  while  Josephine 
took  captive  all  her  new  and  distinjrnished  relatives,  includiug; 
the  Rochefaucaulds,  the  Montmoreiicys  and  tlie  Rohans.  Al- 
though she  never  had  entered  a  drawing  room  or  dined  in 
state,  her  native  grace  and  taste,  with  a  little  coaching  by  hei 
aunt,  saved  her. 

The  birtli  of  a  son,  Kusene,  and  later  the  coining  of  a 
daughter.  Ilortense,  did  not  recall  Alexandre  to  his  firesido 
for  long.  After  seeking  diversion  in  the  army,  in  Italy  ami 
even  in  Martinique,  where  he  said  very  disagreeable  thinfP 
about  Ids  wife,  there  came  a  legal  sei)aration  and  the  dividuig 
up  of  the  children.  The  father  took  Eugene,  and  Joscpliini' 
with  her  baby  girl  returned  to  the  loft  of  the  sugar  mill  of 
Trois  Islets. 

While  she  was  renewing  the  memories  of  her  chiUihood 
there,  the  Revolution  bui-st  upon  France  and  the  Viscount 
jiluni-'ed  into  the  movement.  In  the  awakening  of  his  emo- 
tions, he  felt  a  desire  to  be  reconciled  with  .Toscphine.  wl'.o. 
although  he  had  branded  her  a  "vile  creature,"  listened  as>  n 


I 


.iD.SKPIIlNr,     UV     I'ULD'lloN 


U  I  t'l 

111    I 

innti 


li.iri 

'  llllll 
I'aili 

<  i  VVt 

liisid 

Tl 


'I'1S( 


irlll 


n< 


III  it 
mass; 
tlir  J 
who 

wife. 

Iiiiibi 
hair 

rc:|(l\ 


ll'<'V\ 


fj 

Kohes 
the  p 
Jos 
wi(|o\ 
iiiK  r 
thniii' 


A  L()\i;  s'loin' 


41 


*^'l''  "M,l  iiH.llwr  U  Lis  Mpprals  fur  Iut  ivtuni  to  hini  ami 
i-.nir.n-.  Ai;ainM  tlie  pn.trsi^  ..l'  h,  ,•  fi.1li..r.  u  lu,  ui.s  alna.lv 
in  Ins  mortal  .lltirss,  and  to  ih.'  la^Iin^,'  .lispk-asiir.'  of  lk"r 
tiiothrr.  she  sailed  foi-  l-'niii  •(•. 

TIk'  r.Miiiitrd  family  sliarni  thr  I'ortiiu.s  (d'  Citi/cii  Bfau- 
l.iniais  ll.rout,'h  tlircc  stormy  yrars.  Tui..^  he  -vas  rhosr,, 
I'l  Ih'  prcsidi'iit  of  th.'  national  assrinMy,  ;;rid  he  ro,ir  ih,.  wil.j 
u,l■l■^  of  jjoiitical  auitatioii  wry  u.ll  untd  lie  was  .s.iit  out  as 
"•niniandcr-in-clii(d"  of  tli.'  Army  of  tli,-  Kliim..  His  .ampaiKii 
lailii:.'  Ill-  ua^  recalled  to  I'aris  and  east  into  firison.  While 
.l"sepliiiie  uas  iidereedinn  f„r  his  lilr,  at  the  hei^riit  of  ;.,d 
<'ivat  Terror,  slu'  herself  was  arrested  and  loeked  uj)  j.s  a 
di^loyal  ai'istoerat. 

The  Terror  ha.l  converted  the  palaees  and  monasteries  into 
I'lisons  anil  crowded  them  with  the  proudest  and  meanest  of 
!■  ranee.  Heauliarnais  was  -onlined  m  the  i)alaee  of  the  Lax- 
•  :'ihourf,'  ami  liis  wife  was  aln.'osl  across  the  stre-t  in  the  Car- 
'inlite  i^lonastel•y. 

lictween  tlic  Luxemhourtr  and  the  faiui'iar  Theatri  de 
I  odeou  on  the  Kue  Vau^'irard  riv-s  still  th-  dianel  of  .|.)- 
>'  I'hme's  prison,  the  Chinvli  of  St.  Jos.ph  des  Carmes.  Down 
"I  Its  erypt  one  may  see  to-day  mementoes  (.f  the  horrible 
inas,saere  of  the  prisoners  whi;di  took  i)lace  at  the  monastery  in 
tlic  Septemher  before  her  arrest,  and  many  tombs  of  those 
«ln,  wer.'  butchered  in  the  Hundred  Hours  oi  bloodv  memory, 
licauharnais  was  permitted  to  j)ay  a  parting,'  v'isit  to  Ids 
Then  his  last  day  eame.  and  lu  bouj,'ht  back  from  the 
I'er  who  prepai-ed  his  head  for  the  <,Miillotine,  a  lock  of  his 
r  to  s.-nd  to  Josephine  ami  the  ehildren.  The  witV  made 
I'iy  to  follow  her  husband  to  the  scatlold,  and  she  wrote  her 
.'ie«-cll  letter  to  Eu^'ene  and  Hortense.  But  ju.st  then 
''■"I'espierre  hims<'lf  was  flung  into  the  tumbril  of  death  and 
tiie  prison  doors  swi  ng  open. 

■lusephine  returnd  to  the  world  as   froin    her  grave,   the 
wiJowed  and  penniless  mother  of  two  ehildreu.     Almost  uoth- 
I'l-'   really  i.s  known  of  her  eighteen   months  of  widowhood 
'JK'Ugh  much  has  been  told,  .r-ostly  in  such  a  venomous  soirit 
'^'"•n  a  i.ruueut  person  dare  not  touch  it.     p>om  the  beginning 


■All! 

l;:ii 

ti 

I'.i 


42 


IN  TllK   FOOTSTHTS  OF  NAPOLKON 


to  the  end  of  tliiit  i>nM-iin()Us  period  she  was  <  oiitiimally  draw- 
ing; upon  ill)-  uioth.r,  now  a  widow  like  hn-rlf.  She  threw 
hi'rselt'  uiHHi  li.-r  htiuiitv  as  ••|iiy  sole  sui-porl,"  and  a^'aiii  she 
wrotr  iirr  as  hw  ••\H)m-  Vwltr:"'  -"l  l<now  too  wU  your 
re-ard  tor  my  iionour  to  have  the  least  douht  that  you  wdl 
supidv  iiic  will)  liie  means  for  suhsistenee." 

At  "hist  eanie  tlie  day  of  Vendeiidairo,  hi^?  with  fate,  whm 
from  thr  eannmi's  mouth  the  litth'  artiUeryman  siioke  to  re- 
bellious I'aris  and  it  pausrd  in  tiie  preseiKv  of  its  master,  '-the 
man  on  hoiNrliark."  Tlie  wilful  city  was  .•omnumded  to  ^ive 
up  its  anus  as  a  ^ruarant.'.'  of  trood  h.'haviour  in  the  tulurr. 
and  the  soldiers  wmt  fi'om  housr  to  house  to  take  away  the 
weapons  (d'  the  insui-vnt  population.  Th.'  widow  Meau- 
harnais.  wishiu-  to  icrp  hn'  hushand's  sword  as  a  heritage 
for  her  fouKeeii-year-ol-1  son.  sent  Eus^'.'iie  to  head-iuarters  to 

bff:  its  i-eturn. 

So  tile  tale  was  tohi  by  both  Napoleon  and  Eufjene,  and 
if  it  is  too  ^'ood  to  be  true  it  is  also  too  ^'ood  to  be  spoiled  by 
sceptics  who  hav"  no  story  to  take  its  i)laeo. 

The  boy  wr|it  at  tlie  si.ixht  of  his  fatiier's  sword  and  kissed 
its  hi't.  Napoloon  was  touched  and  patted  hiui  on  the  head. 
KuL'cne's  enthusiastic  ri'iu.rt  at  home  of  the  Cenerars  k'ud- 
ncss  excited  the  <rratitude  of  his  widowed  mother,  who  has- 
tened to  call  and  express  her  thanks. 

A!thoui;h  she  was  announced  as  '"th.  Citi/.eness  Beauhar- 
nais,"  the  rustic  nobleman  ti'om  Corslv'a  did  not  miss  the  i;-\- 
pres'sive  fact  tliat  his  eall(>r  was  tiu-  Viscmmtess  de^^Beau- 
harnais.   a  resoundinsx  name  of  the  ancient  icirime 


He  saw 


in  her  the  ^n'acet'ul  im])ersonation  of  the  trreat  aristocracy 
of  old  France,  and  fdt  that  for  the  tirst  time  he  stood  in  the 
presence  of  a  <i:rande  dame. 

Did  she  not  look  the  jiart  to  jierfection?  HeErallx  tall  and 
charmiiiixly  sleiuler.  not  even  a  -rirdle  was  n.'eded  to  sui)port 
her  da.ly  bosom;  her  eyes  w.-re  soft  and  api)ealin^';  her 
sensitive  little  nose  was  retroussee.  or  turned  up.  as  we  uiifral- 
lantlv  say  in  Knelish,  l»arisian  ai't  had  i'leverly  rei'elle<!  the 
assaults  of  time,  and  her  archinir  moui  was  sd  suudl  that  it 
did  not   permit  her  unfortunate  teeth  to  olitrude  themselves 


A  LOVK  STUKV 


43 


npdii  her  fiicliantin;r  smile,  while  in  lici'  every  motion  tliere 
was  tile  laiigiiorous  ease  ol'  tile  (.'reole  aiul  tlie  iiiglily  polislied 
graee  ol"  tiie  Fi'eiicli  saldii. 

'I'lie  eni'aptureij   CoiNicaii   did  not   yet   l\iu)\v   tiiat   slie   was 
only  a  little  islander  like  liimselt'.  and  as  fast  as  his  new  ear 
lia^^'  eould  take  iiini  on  the  liekl  ol"  action,  the  stratejxist   of 
Tdulon  opeiK'd  a  catiipaij^n  in  whieii  a  widow's  strate^'y  was 
t(i  leave  him  as  lielpless  as  a  eliild. 

Tiie  title  in  his  affairs  was  swiftly  swelling  to  the  flood. 
Already  he  was  Geueral-iii-chief  of  the  Anny  of  the  Interior, 
;nid.  as  the  eonimandant  of  Paris,  he  dwelt  in  an  old  palace 
en  the  Rue  Capueine,  where  lu  had  a  salon  of  his  own.  In 
liiv  hearinur,  dejection  had  tnven  way  to  conlidence.  Slapping 
the  sword  at  his  side,  he  lioasted  to  Josephine  that  it  would 
raii'y  him  far.  She  siniletl  at  his  self-assurance  as  something 
(liolly  boyish,  and  tlii-  wild  outiiui'sts  of  his  natural  egotism, 
wli:  Vie  had  so  long  been  obliged  to  repi  s  or  restrain,  must 
li;iv(  Kept  her  oscillating  between  .suspicions  of  his  genius  and 
liis  madness. 

.\ftei'  her  obsi  ivation  of  the  evanescent  (piality  of  military 
I'lMitations  antl  tlie  transitoiy  character  of  personal  success 
under  the  Republic  well  may  she  have  liesitated  to  hitch  her 
waiTon  to  the  star  of  this  youth.  Had  she  not  buckled  on 
:i;e  armour  of  one  (ieneral-in-chief  only  to  see  him  march 
straight  to  the  guillotine  whither  half  her  friends  had  gone? 

The  attempts  of  her  wooer  to  carry  the  fortress  of  her  aU'ec- 
'inns  by  storm  vere  a  tactical  failure.  Her  heart  when  it  was 
>oiinL;'  had  been  impervious  to  the  a.ssaults  of  passion,  and  now 
;:i    thirty-two   it    was  untouched   i)y   the   Corsican's   frenzied 

'inks  upon  it.     In  tine,  she  seems  to  have  been  at  once  terri- 

i|  and  fascinated  by  her  pet  eagle.  Uu*  'f  she  let  him  tly 
IV. ay  she  knew  how  to  call  him  back,  as        this  example: 


^  on  no  longer  come  to  see  a  friend  who  loves  yiui;  you  have  quite 
I'isaUeu  her;  you  are  very  wrong;  for  she  is  i)assionately  devoted  to 
ymi. 

''nine  to-r.iorrow  and  breakfast  with  nic;  I  want  to  see  you  and  to 
'  ii.ii  with  you  upon  niauers  cuncerniiitr  your  interest. 

tloiid  niu'it,  my  liiend,  1  einhrace  you.         Veuve  Beachauxais. 


44 


IX  THE  FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLEON 


The  courtsliip  wfut  forward  at  an  rvcr  (|ui<'kening  pace. 
It  took  the  hit,'h  speed  as  tlie  l^ireetory.  moved  toward  its 
decision  to  make  the  wooer  the  (ieneral-in-chief  of  the  Army 
of  Italy.  Aunt  IJiMiaudine  and  Aunt  Farmy  Heauharnais  and 
Josephine's  father-in-hiw,  the  .Marciuis,  lih'd  tlieir  approval  of 
the  allianee,  and  tlnii  it  was  time  to  call  in  the  lawyer,  which 
is  always  the  signal  in  Fi'ance  that  the  love  makin-;  has  come 
to  a  crisis. 

Napoleon  was  with  his  sweetheart  wlun  the  lawyer  arrived. 
l?ut  Maitre  Raguideau  paid  1:0  attenti(m  to  the  insignificant 
young  man,  who  was  idly  looking  out  the  windcnv  as  he  passed 
into  Josephine's  chair.i)er,  where  ^;lle  was  still  in  hed,  and  the 
lawyer  remonstrated  with  his  client  so  earnestly  that  the  lover 
standing  by  the  window  lieard  tlirouL-h  the  partly  open  door 
.some  of  his  exclamatory  protests:  "  Vou  are  very  foolish! 
You  will  regret  it !  It  is  madness !  You  are  going  to  marry 
a  man  who  has  nothing  hut  a  cloak  ami  a  sword.  Surely  you 
can  make  a  much  lielter  match  than  this!" 

But  Josephine  had  passsfd  the  stagt^  of  argument,  and  she 
laughingly  called  in  Napoleon,  who  rose  to  the  occasion  by 
complimenting  Maitre  Raguideau  on  his  frankness  and 
promi)tlv  retaining  him  as  their  joint  lawyer!  Yet  in  the 
making  of  the  marriage  settlement  he  frankly  confessed  that 
lie  had  no  real  estate  and  no  personal  estate  other  than  his 
military  uniforms  and  trappings. 

When  the  wedding  night  came,  the  couple  drove  to  the 
mairie,  luiatteuded  by  a  representative  of  either  the  bride's 
family  or  the  groom's.  The  wedding  place,  which  is  the  one 
spared  monument  of  the  marriage  of  Napoleon  and  Josephine, 
has  becomi'  a  bank  and  is  as  unromantically  fiscal  in  its  ap- 
pearance as  any  bank  could  be.  Hut  this  long,  low,  greyish 
yellow  building  around  the  conur  from  the  Avenue  de 
I'Opera,  in  the  Rue  d'Antin,  has  seen  gayer  days,  for  it  has 
not  always  been  the  Pai'is  and  Nederlands  Hank.  It  was  a 
I)alace  in  the  gilt  age  of  the  (Irand  .Monarch  and  until  it  was 
conli-scated  in  the  Revolution.  Then  it  bei-ame  the  mairie  of 
the  second  arrondisseiuent,  the  municipal  building  of  the  sec- 
ond ward. 


A  LOVE  Sl'ORY 


45 


On  till-  walls  of  tlu'  hank  oflicc  on  the  sci'ond  floor  tlio  rupids 
^fill  frolic  in  a  ^'oldcn  fric/.c.  Tiicy  danced  at  the  niati'i':^  of 
the  widow  wlicn  the  soldier  endowed  her  with  all  his  worldly 
possessions,  to  wit : 

( )iu'  swcii'd. 
(tiio  cldak. 


For  that  room,  in  which  now  are  otdy  desks  and  office  stools, 
was  the  salle  des  niari'ia<,'es  wl.  ii  Napoleou  led  his  betrothed 
lip  the  stairs  at  ten  o  clock  of  a  .Marcli  evening'  in  17!)6.  The 
little  bridal  party  was  late  for  its  appointment  and  the  Mayor 
liail  fallen  asleep  in  his  chair.  Xapoleoii  went  over  to  him 
.iiid  shook  him  by  the  shoulder.  "Wake  up!  Wake  up,  Mr. 
Mayor,  and  marry  us!"  he  commanded. 

The  marriatre  rite  appears  not  to  have  been  taken  very  seri- 
ously but  to  have  been  an  occasion  for  some  merry  pranks 
with  the  facts.  The  bride  gave  her  ajie  as  twenty-eijrht.  in- 
stead of  thirty-two  plus,  and  the  <iroom  met  her  half-way  In 
a  trallant  effort  to  bridfre  the  gulf  of  years  between  them  by 
viiwing  he  was  born  in  the  same  year. 

From  tht^  Rue  d'Antin,  the  bride  took  her  husband  to  her 
nnted  house,  a  modest  place  set  in  a  garden  in  the  Rue 
''liantereine,  which  he  would  soon  turn  into  the  Rue  de  la 
\'i(t()ire.  And  it  was  only  six  or  eight  .squares  to  the  Tuile- 
rii's ! 

The  Rui'  de  la  Victoire  to-day  is  one  of  a  thousand  streets 
"f  Paris,  with  its  shoi)s  on  the  ground  floor  and  its  flats  above, 
'losephine's  little  hotel,  the  first  home  Napoleon  knew  after 
1-aving  his  mother's  roof,  is  gone;  but  around  every  lamp  post 
in  the  Kue  de  la  Victoire  cluster  the  memories  of  the  victor  of 
itiily  and  his  drawn  battle  with  the  widow,  not  to  dwell  upon 
liis  inu'lorious  capittdation  to  her  dog.  Fortune,  who  disputed 
with  his  teeth  the  invasion  of  his  mistress'  boudoir. 

After  a  honeymoon  of  only  two  days  the  bridegroom  ex- 
'liaiiged  the  i)ursuit  of  happiness  for  the  pui-suit  of  glor\', 
leaving  his  bride  twirling  her  second  wedding  ring,  within 
which  were  engraved  the  watchwords,  "Au  Destin!" 


UK 


CHAPTER  vr 


\ii 


TTIK  IJTTLl':  (()i;i'(i|,'AL 


mu 


ITilii      ACiK   2i: 


F 


OR  ;i  wcrk  licior,"  liis  wcdiliiiir.  Xapoh'on  luid  carrii'd 
ill  liis  i)()fkct  his  (•(niuiiission  as  <  iriin'al-iii-cliicf  of  tl 
Ann.v   of   Italv.      Wlicii   his   I 


(lays  old.  oppoi-tiiiiity  and 


ainr   I'l 


loiicyiiKKin    was  culy   two 
I'usi'd    IdiiirtT  to  he  put  otl' 


nd  sternly  coiiiinaiidcd  him  to  .put  the  path  of  dalliai 


Asl 


ll'C 


If  went  si^duii-r  to  his  new  post  of  duty  in  .March,  T 


ic  scattered  a   siiowei-  of  love  letters  alon"  his 


MUles. 


At    1 


wav   foi-  7()(i 


learly  every  elian^e  of  horses  the  x'ouiil'  (ieni'r; 


m-ehiei'  uurried  to  a  tavern   t; 


infl; 


iiiiniation   from  cui 


dile  and  soutrht   to  relieve  th 


hreast,   i 


>i(l  s  wound   w  hi 


I  M   was  eonsuiiiiiii,'   his 


Iiehiiid  hi 


y  writing'  a   tiery   ines>af,'.'  to  the  lirid 


e   tie   liad    1( 


ft 


111. 


At  th 


le  same  time,  his  orders  wei'e  flyin<,'  on  ahead 


and   falling'  like  snowtlaki 


s  on   Ills  army,  whose  veteran 


erals  wen>  shocked  when  the  frowzy  ihaded  Ijit 
j)resented   himself  at   liead.piarters  and   w 
showed  them  the  portrait  of  his  hride.     -'B 


liiiii 
f,'cn- 
1. 


ards  the  hoy    put  oi,   a   ^'emrars   hat 


rrown  two  feet."  said  .M 


>'  eoiiimaiuler 
juvenile  ardour 
lit  a  nioiiieiit  after- 
and   seemed   to   have 


teen    veal's. 


i; 


asseiia.  who  had  heen  a  soldier  sev 


en- 


qiiestionid 


divisions  and  as  to  the 


tlie  course  which  we  were  to  t, 


lis    as   to   the    position    of   uur 
iltei-ti\-e   t'orce  of  each  corps,   toKl   us 


hoi 


d   an   inspection  the   next   day  and   attack  tl 


day  aft 


iKe.  annoiiiieed  that   he  wouh: 
ic   eneinv   tlu 


er. 


W 


hy  should   till.   i{eputilic  of   FraiK'e   liave  staked 


tunes  in  a  war  with  the  irreatest  empire  of  the  t 
youth   of   twenty-six   in   the   thro.s   of   his    first    love 


its  for- 
inie  on  this 


should  it 


W 


Imve  chosen  for  the  hitrhest  conimand  a  v 


40 


ly 
(uuifx  man 


iiat 
wit 

IKII 

at  I 


and 

Stat 
I'roi 


'I  re 


iililcli 
show 


TlIK   IJTTLK  (Oin'oKAl, 


47 

'nwhii;!!  /"''^rr''^   l'''i'osophy,   li„.,.,t,uv,   politics.    husin..ss. 
"•"''-  "I  ■;'■''  "^^^-  ^'■'•^"■'■'  ^^1'"  I'-l  iHvn  absent  fro.n  ,lwtv 

'"•'"Y  ';■"'    '';r"    '^\"-  .l,M,uss,Hi?      Wliy   .l.ouid    it    luuv   Hr- 
^■"'■'p'''"v,.    uss.i.u.rsan  ollinr  uho  n.-vrr  IkhI  li.hl  a  c-o,.,- 

"""';""'  ^^■''■'  "-;■••  '""•  '-'"  ^»  an  a.tive  campaign,  or  s.vu 
iiiiiiv  (hail  one  battle? 

>^iiiiply   because  he  lia<l  an  idea' 

ll.s  .•oiniiiissinn   as  (;e„eral-in-e!iier  of  the  Aniiv  of  Italv 
-'  '";•';  ;v-'  not  by  his  suord,  b,.t   by  the  keen  .;ij.e  of  In. 
;.  no    I,-  h:s  u^^ 

'      •     I'.    h.seannona,ln.,r,t  '  nulon.  but  with  pen  and  paper 
;  .::^  :    "--.where  he  had  drawn  up  a  bnliiant  s 'heme 
"I  w.ii  and  stateei'att  eombiii.Hl. 

An  Austrian  anuy  was  rea.ly   for  the  invasion  of   Frauee 
nd  opc^atuj,  with  the  anuy  of  the  most  martial  of  the  It    i  ^ 

;rtl      I. ^""tr   "''"■'''""'    -'--territory    stivtehed 
'the  I.  ke  of  Umeya  over  the  Alps  and  down  into  the 
ni    ot    1    edmont.     .\apoIeon    pro,K,sed    that    the    Fren.-h 
"'•-.  whieh   iield  only  that   narrow  strip  of  Mediterranea     • 

'-.  wh,e  I  .s  known  as  tlK-  Hivicra,  should  proceed  th.;' 
1^^  J.  m    he  nunn.an>s  tlmt  lay  between  them  and  the  enean^ 
'''    ''"■  ='ll-    aniues,  eompel  the  Sanlinians  .separatelv  io 
;|  P.aee  and  t  en  drive  the  Austrians  out  of  Lnba  d  • 
wii,.  ii  |||,.y  had  held  lor  emhtv  years 

Arrived  at  Savona  he  found  an  army  of  some  fortv  thou- 
;        .H.u  ,n  ra„.s,  tiu.r  feet  on  the  .round  and  manv  ^f  t lem 

^^Ho."Th";  ""['■' ')  ^  "'■"  ^••^■"p  --">■  -^" 

I.,  fee.l  w,  •  "'"'^^  connuander.  without  meam 

'  •'  •'  "•  ''lothe  or  e(:u,p  them  for  a  eampai^n.  sought  at 
;■•;.  o  distraet  the  tiiou.hts  of  the  men  from  their  vvrfl' 

'■-■".'.'t.on  by  promisin,.  tliem  the  spoils  of  vietorv      That  f    s 

'i.'s  said  marked  all  his  messages  to  his  troops: 

-n';;";;";:;,,  ,^:\""  "?^"''  ^•=^">-  "■'■•  ^•'"  ^'— nent  owes  vu. 

'  •        -   .     -  you  nothing.     ^  ,„„.  ]„,„.  sutfenn^,  the  courage  Vo„ 
r,!r^  '''  ^'^'""•''^^'  l^"'  they  bnn.  y...  no  ^iJrv; 


it  a  rav 


I'elli'i^ted  upuii  yon. 


48 


IN  TlIK  FOOTSTKPS  OF  NAPOLEON 


I  wish  to  lend  ynu  into  llic  iiinst  tVrtilc  plains  in  tlic  world  I  K'idi 
|'ni\  iiiccs,  LTcai  towns  will  hi-  m  your  powci';  tin  re  you  will  tind 
honour.  Liiory  and  riidii's  I 

Soldici-s  i<\'  Italy,  can  yon  lie  t'oinid  lackini 
runstancv  ? 


ni  linnoiir.  coiiracm  or 


Fi-oni  Nico  to  (ifiioa  tlirro  rises  ii  loni;  mnuiitaiiious  raiiLro' 
with  its  lu'acl  in  tlu-  cluucls  and  its  foot  in  the  surf  of  tiic  .Mcdi- 
torraiicaii.  This  i.s  the  wall  of  Italy.  In  all  that  wall  thiTe 
arc  only  four  or  live  jrati's,  oiu-  of  wlii"h  o')i'iis  at  Savona. 
But  Napoleon  foohd  the  enemy  hy  noisily  deiaandin^  from 
the  trovornnient  of  (Jenoa  a  fi-ee  highway  throuj,'h  another  pass 
twenty  miles  to  the  east. 

Beaul it'll,  the  seventy-one-year-old  Austrian  commander, 
wlieji  he  heard  of  that  demand  on  (leiioa.  flattered  liimself  he 
saw  tlirouy:h  the  youn^^  man's  selieme  as  clearly  as  through 
the  rungs  of  a  ladder.  The  hoy  was  trying  to  steal  arounti 
him,  and  the  veteran  connnander  at  once  hcgan  to  move  his 
main  force  toward  tlie  cast  to  head  off  the  French.  Then 
Napoleon  shot  his  main  force  like  a  holt  at  the  weakened 
centre  of  tlie  allied  armies. 

Riding  out  cf  Savona  at  niidniglit,  he  climbed  twelve  miles 
in  the  shadows  of  the  towering  ci-ags  of  the  Ligurian  Alps, 
crowned  hy  church  steeples  and  ancient  villages,  each  a  refuge 
of  civilisation  in  the  dark  ages  when  the  corsairs  of  the  Sara- 
cens were  the  terror  of  the  shore.  That  steep  road  is  the  first 
section  in  Napoleon's  ladder  to  fame. 

As  the  day  broke  that  April  morning  over  the  heights  of 
]\Ionteuotte,  the  soldiei-s  of  the  Au.strian  right  opened  their 
eyes  upon  the  blue  coats  of  France  before  them  in  o\rrwhelm- 
ing  force.  The  clash  of  I)attle  reverberating  among  the  moun 
tains  readied  the  ears  of  Beaulieu,  iiiil;'s  away,  where  he  was 
leading  the  left  wing  of  his  army  toward  tlie  pretended  point 
of  attack. 

He  awakened  too  late  to  the  humiliating  fact  that  the  boy 
had  played  a  trick  on  him.  hi  vain  he  put  forth  (>very  effort 
to  unite  his  forces,  join  his  ally  and  present  a  solid  front  to 
the  T-^reiich. 

"^My  nobility  dates  from  ]Mo:.tenotte,"  Napoleon  boasted  in 


THE  LITTLE  COKPOIUL  49 

•■11  tlu;  after  years,  as  he  looked  haek  wpo.i  that  first  battle  and 
first  victory  under  his  t^eiieralship. 
Like  an  affile  boxer  .sparring  with  two  anta^'onists  at  onee. 

.'ll  upon  tile  hardin.ans  the  very  next  day,  and  dro^e  tlieni 
"L  lis  army  now  stood  like  a  wedge  between  the  two 
..II  .s  and  stronger  than  .-ither  alone.  In  striet  aceorc,  nee 
-  I>  the  sehe^ule  he  had  dr:un  up  at  his  desk  in  Paris  he 
liad  separate.l  the  Austrians  and  the  Sardinian- 

Ilannibal  ero.ssed  the  Al{.s,"  he  reminded  his  troops-  -we 
have  turned  them."  ^^up.s,      hl 

Always  with  a  le.sser   foree  than   the  onemv,  he   won   his 
tahan  victories  by  his  ability  to  send  more  n^n  into  l".ttl 
.Hu,s  opponent.     If  he  a.lopted  Voltaire's  cynical  remlrk 
tiMt     (.od  IS  on  the  side  of  the  heaviest  battalions,"'  he  really 
||-|nt  no  more  than  that  (Jod  is  on  the  side  of  the  man  whom 
'•as  endued  with  the  wisdom  to  assemble  the  heaviest  ba 
a  .ons  at  the  point  of  atta.-k.     '"An  army  shouhl  be  divided 
I  'vmt'n  T''  ^«"«'"trated  for  eoi„Dat."     That  was  the 

k'.M  ote  of  his  success  throughout  all  his  campaigns 
A  tor  pushing  the  Sardinian  army  back  on  Turin,'  Napoleon 
.     ardiv  ,,    down  in  the  tine  Saimatori  Palace  at  Clu  rasco 

h'd   made  h-   ""    '''   "^•^•'^''   ^^■'^^^  ^"   «'d   Sardinirn 
'"..rslud   made  his  appearance,  and   announced   to  the   little 

"ounnander  of  the  French  that  his  King  was  thinkin .  of  pro 

posmg  terms  of  peace.     "Terms,"  roan^d  the  voun^^man'  as 

1-  pounded  a  desk,  "it  is  I  who  name  terms;  ^ccep^  them  a 

'""•<'  or  Turin  is  mine  to-morrow!" 

nunT  '^'l^^^'f ""'''''  tried  to  haggle  with  lum  he  pulled 
|;^';_nMo  Mgn  ac  once.     "1  may  lose  battles,  but  I  will  not  lo.se 

;'"s  with   the  complete  surrender  of  the   kingdom  of   S'lr 
■-a-and  w.tb  a  letter  te  Josephine,  elamoro,;;  a^l^,,'     ! 
'       g,  because  she  had  not  taken  wings  and  fiown  across  the 

' ;     ;  ;,      li  it  is  a  lover  that  detains  you.  beware  of  Othello  s 


50 


'\  TFIK   I'OOTSTKI'S  OI'  XAl'OIJ'OX 


Tl 


us  oiithiirst    III'   til 


<■    tWfiit\M.\-vcai'-( 


11(1 


Cor 


tlK'    tliii-t\   t\V()-\c;ic-(i|(l    ('fcol 


!■    nniiicMscl\.    iiikI    she    read    tli 


siriiii   amused 


passairi-  to  the  poet  Ai'iiaiilt — slic  drlii^rhtrd  to  show  Xapolcon's 
love  Ifttcrs — and  Arnault  said  in  his  old  a^'r:  "l  scciii  to 
hear  hi  r  oiirr  mon'  say,  with  hrr  Ci'cuh'  acri'iit,  wluli'  siir 
sinilrs,  'How  t'liiiiiy  I'.oiiapai'tr  i>.'  " 

Sardinia  pli'dind  h.rsrif  t,,  forsakr  thr  alliancf  with  Austria 
and  to  dispii'M'  her  artiiy,  and  she  rrdid  Savoy  and  Nice  to 
Franci'  ontriu'ht.  XapoU'on  loudly  iiisistni  on  stipulating'  also 
that  in  pursuit  of  the  Austrians  he  .should  he  pcrnuttcd  to 
cross  the  Ivivcr  l*o  at  a  crrtain  point,  l^raulicu.  of  i-oursc, 
lirard  of  this  just  as  he  had  hrard  of  the  deniand  on  (Irnoa 
for  a  fri'c  road  throuudi  the  easterly  pass  and  he  rose  to  the 
liait  with  the  same  eatri'riiess.  while  Xapoleon  marclu'd  his 
army  100  miles  down  stream  and  crossed  where  thcro  wf'rc 
only  200  or  MOO  Austrians  to  he  fritrhtened  off  the  scene.  He 
was  not  only  over  the  river,  hut  ^'ettinir  in  hcliind  the  enemy, 
who  hurriedly  fell  hack. 

From  the  Po,  he  {)rt-sse(l  on  to  the  Adihi  and  its  now  cele- 
hrated  hridt'e  at  Lodi.  This  litth  city  which  lies  twenty  miles 
from  Milan  seems  little  chanired  hy  time.  There  is  "only  a 
I»ictures(|ue  vcstitre  of  the  old  town  wall  with  its  mossy  hricks 
and  the  -^M-ass  jrrowui^'  on  its  top.  IJut  even  when  this  harrier 
.stood  intact,  it  did  not  prove  a  serious  olistaele  to  the  French, 
who  fairly  took  the  town  with  their  hare  hands,  the  ivar  <,niard 
of  the  Austrians  tleeini,'  out  tlu'  other  side  hv  the  hriih'e  over 
the  Adda. 

()n  the  narrow  hut  j)leasant  and  clean  main  .street  of  the 
vilhifre,  which  now  has  a  population  of  20.000,  still  stands  the 
hitj  old  I'itletti  j)al;;ce  where  Xapoleon  nuide  his  headipiarters. 
The  historic  hridixe,  however,  has  heen  replaced  hy  a  .somewhat 
wider  structure,  ;]00  or  400  feet  lonjr,  hut  a  tahlet  on  a  wall 
near  hy  records  the  (h'ed  which  immortalised  its  name.  The 
Austrians  intended  to  destroy  the  hrid<:e  after  crossinLj  the 
river,  hut  the  l^'rendi  were  so  close  on  ijieii'  h.'cls  th;it  they 
could  oidy  turn  and  resist  with  their  ;irl;!l -ry  the  passa<r.  of 
their  pursuers. 

Th.'  clock  towr  of  the  church   of  the   .MaL^lalena   rises   hv 


TlIK   LITTLK  LuKI'(JJ{AL 


51 


riv.T  sid.-'  uMclKi 
'k.  .1  acro.ss  the  .shiillow  .st 


v'^r,]  since  Xapnl.'on  climbod  to  its  top  and 
allow  .stivaiii  uliicli  drihhjrd  \>vt\\vvu  liini 
■'""  thr  Austnans  that  .May  alhTuiKHi.  Wi.ilr  h,.  st.m.l  in  tl.o 
'•'w.r,  uatrlun-  th,-  r„ti|.,  cannona.linK  lHtw,...n  Ins  ,.un  turn's 
■'"'I  "•'  .■n..>ny,  tl...  rUn-k  rlan^v.i  livv.  a^au.  .1  sonn.i.d  six,  and 
"""  '"■  d''t<'ni.ni.'d  to  take  thr  hrid-r  hy  st(,nii 

■I  li.'  u'renadurs.  with  .IkmHs  of  -  Vnv  h.  K,.publ„,ur,"  dashrd 

"'"'"   "   '';•'""•'  '^  I'attalion  of  ..arhirnvrs  and  into  a  hail   of 

■^r,...    ami  eanister  fn,n,  the  Austr.an  -uns.     The  earhin.ers 

-I    ".   heaps    a.ul  tl...  -ivnadiers  paused  l.efore  this  ^dlastlv 

;n.|ade         \hde  they  hesitate.!,  several  otKeers,  La.n.es,  firJt 

"    all.  and  then  .Alasscna,  JJerthier,  Cervoni  and  others  with 

J^.'vin^^  swords,  rnshrd  hy  them,  leape.l  over  the  .striek.n  ear- 

l'i'"'';.s,  and   led  the  ^renadier.s  int..  the  verv   M>ouths  of  the 

AuMnan  j,n,n.s      The  f,ninn..r.s  wr..  bayoiiet,..!.  everv  j,M.n  was 

'••'I'linvd  and  the  enemy  ])ut  to  Hi^dit. 

It  was  in  the  twili-h't  when  Napoleon  rode  out  of  the  town 
••  v.sit  the  camp  of  his  army.     Disn.onntinjr.  he  .sannt.'red  up 
"  a  irroup  ol   eaptur.'d  ofti..ers.     They  .U.l  not  reeo,'uise  the 
;nn,j.  lMvn..h  ohuvr,  wh.-  ask...l  them  how  tlu'ir  arn.y  was  ..et- 
-^  ^l.m^      An   Austrian   .-aptain    repli..d,   -Not   very   .u^l 
I'  n  tH^n  this  youns  fjen.-ral  of  yours  is  violating  evrv  rule 
'^t   nu.taz-y  operations.      W.-  n.'V.'r  know  where  to  tinj  him 
N<.nn.t,m..s  he  ,s  in   front  of  ns,  s.-m-limes  in  our  ivar  and 
,  .nn  on  otir  flank.     We   can't   tell   how   to  place  ourselves 
'  "1-^  \\a\  of  niakuig  war  is  outrase.ms  " 
Nap..l..ou  pasM.l  on  from  th.-  prisoners  to  his  grenadiers, 
I-  H„..;red   Inm    fervently.     I>lainly    he   had   touched   thei; 

.,a  ion  wh..    u.hurl..d  tlu.m  upon  the  snioking  ..annon 

:"    h<    toe       I  lu.y  had  promptly  held  a  coun..il.  jus  thev  wre 

'"    !-;•    alnt  of  doing  when  anything  .as  happening.n^l  t 

'■   K'd  to  promote  hum      \Vh,.n.fore  th.,v  a.-lainuHl  hi„,  now 

"!-:.,:;:■-  ^ll^-  -'-^l.  th..y  had  admirmgly  conferred  u^ 


llllU. 


"The  Little  Corporal!" 


CllAl'TEli  VII 

IN  THL:  (■()(  Kl'lT  OF  KIHOPE 

WHEN   tho   pa'^sonfror  on    the   train    from    Milan   to 
V.-iiic.'  liiis  loc.k.'d  out  for  an  hour  or  inori-  vqion  a 
quirt  aiul  fruitful  plaiu.  wlu'rc  the  stat.-ly  poplars 
of  Lo.nhar.lv  stntcli  skyward  to  rival  tlu-  uol.le  1..41  towers 
of  the  villa-'V  c-lu.rciu'S,  ho  sees  the  landscape  abruptly  ehange 
from  sniilin-  peace  to  frowning?  war.     I'^'ly  wniikles  suddenly 
disti^'ure  the   face  of  the   countryside   where   uiauy   redoubts 
furrow  the  earth,  and  -rey,  moated  forts  and  battleuiented 
citadels  lift  their  scowling'  fronts  on  every  hand.     One  long 
.•hain  of  fortilications  stretches  seventy-live  nnles  to  Le-iuino 
and  southward  twenty-live  miles  from  Verona  and  Lonato  to 
the  mouldv  walls  of  Alantua.     Within  that  roped  arena  lies 
the   great  'battle-rround   of   Italy,   which   Freeman  ehnsteued 
"the  cockpit  of  Kuroi)e."  ,.  t     ,•  •     at        i70fi 

Wlien  he  had  dashed  across  the  brid-re  of  Lodi  in  May,  1  M), 
Napoleon  stood  in  that  cockpit,  and  there  he  cast  his  gauntlet 
at  the  feet  of  Austria  on  th."  Lonibardy  plain.  Fooling  his 
ever  gullible  foe,  he  passed  over  the  -Mincio  as  he  had  crossed 
the  Vo  and  the  Alps,  by  making  a  pretended  movement  in 
almost  the  opposite  direction  to  his  real  line  of  advance. 

Beaulieu's  resistance  thus  was  brought  to  an  end,  and  the 
voung  chieftain  entered  upon  the  sie-e  of  Mantua  with  its 
garrison  of  1:5,000  or  15.000  Austrians.  This  was  an  irksome 
task  for  his  impetuous  nature.  "The  success  of  a  siege,  he 
seornfuUv  remarked,  "depends  upon  nothing  but  luck,  a  dog 
or  a  goose."  Leaving  a  patient  watdi  dog  among  the  generals 
to  sit  down  in  front  of  .Mantua,  his  restless  spirit  turned  to 
the  more  congenial  work  of  preparing  to  meet  a  new  army 
which   Austria   was   hastily    organising   to   send   against    his 

wearied  troops. 

62 


i 


i 


IN    ,11 M  ('(K'KiMT  OF  KI'UOl'H 


53 


Hcfwrcii  tlif  Austriiui  frontier  and  Mantuii  tliorc  strotclied 
111  those  (lays  tlic  territory  of  the  did  r<  puhlie  of  Veiiiee. 
Across  that  sui)i  osei"y  neutral  yro'i  I  Austria  iiad  a  ''iu'ht  of 
\\;iy  into  Loiiihardy,  hut  Napoh'on  h,  'I  uoi  ■•  into  Austria.  She 
v,ii.s  t'viie  to  descei.'l  i  ion  him  uniiiojes'ed,  hut  lie  must  not  ^o 
fiiith  to  meet     er. 

Catching?  some  Austriaiis  slrayiiif?  ofT  their  preserihed  path 
throii^'li  Venetia,  liowe.er.  lie  it,'nor.-d  the  ju^'-handled  ueii 
trality  of  Veuice  and  soon  both  arnues  overran  the  land  of  the 
1  )()!.'>  ,.  Seizing,'  the  Venetian  eity  of  Verona,  which  is  seated 
on  ot'  hanks  of  the  Acligi-.  he  iield  the  key  to  the  Austrian 
Tyrol  and,  sjtreadinu  his  army  alonj,'  the  shapely  foot  of  lovely 
Lake  (larda,  he  reported  to  the  Diie^tory,  "Our  outj  ists  are 
II  the  In. Is  of  (iermauy."  For  the  Austrian  ruler  was  the 
'Hriiiiin  Kmperor  in  those  diiys  and  Austria  was  the  head  of 
liie  <iermaii  workl. 

Meanwhile  Xapo  .on  hroiigiit  the  King  of  Naples  to  sue  for 
pi  ai-e,  ,ent  an  expiilitiuu  to  seize  vast  stores  ii  the  port  of 
LeL'hnrn  belonging  to  English  inerehaiits,  captured  BoIoe.,a, 
Keirara  and  Urbiuo  in  the  fajial  Starts,  and  nunie  a  truee 
with  tile  I'ope;  ran  otf  to  I'avia,  where  ■•  ■  averted  the  eastle 
of  that  town  into  a  factory  for  the  luakiu','  of  2000  hospital 
iieil-,,  and  to  Tortona,  where  he  assembled  all  m..imer  of  muni- 
tions for  his  campaign. 

As  he  was  dressing  one  morning  at  Tortona  he  broke  the 
t:l,iss  over  tlH>  miniature  of  -iosephin.',  which  he  had  ear 
li.d  in  his  bosom  all  the  way  from  Pans.  His  yellow  counte- 
i..mce  blanched  with  fear.  "My  wife  is  ill!"  he  cried  out  to 
•Manuont:  "or,"  the  jealuus  Corsican  lover  darkly  added, 
"she  is  unfaithful."     lie  sat  down  at  once  and  wrote: 

^.lu  kiiiiw  that  I  could  never  endure  to  sec  yci  in  love  with  any 
<  t"    still  less  endui.'  ttiat  you  sliould  ha   ■■  a   lover;  to  tear  out  his 

■art  and  to  see  him  wiuld  be  one  and  the  s  ne  thing,  and  then,  if 
1  cenld  raise  my  hand  against  your  sacred  person — No!  I  should 
lU'Ver  .Jare,  but  I  should  at  oiiec  abandon  a  life  in  wliiel  the  most 
virtuous  beiiiL;  in  the  world  had  deceived  me.  ...  A  thousand  kisses 
•111  yiiur  eyes,  your  lij.s! 

Even  a  more  passionate  love  and  a  more  heroic  nature  than 


IN    rilK   K()(>TSTi;i'S  (iK  NAl'ol.l'oN 


iiMirht  1 


l.'lVi 


licsitatril  lo  nl'i'.v  his  suiiiiiioiis 

Now  tliiu 


the    Crcolr    liriilr 

wliili'  Napdli'i'M  :,  lifiidquiirtiTs  wire  iii  tli.'  siuiiilt 
III-  lirid  .Milan  and  liad  a  hk.!'  to  otT.T  hvv.  slu-  left  I'aris  at 
Ids  hiddiii^',  lint  fidl  of  tcarl'iil  n^Ti't  for  tlu'  f-stivr  scnifs  in 
uhirh  ^iu■  had  l-  ''ii  the  niitral  liirurc.  Arriving'  in  Milan  witli 
.losrph  I'.onapaitr.  rolond  .Innot— and  hiT  doi;  Fortnnc— 
there  was  another  two-day  lion.-.Miioon  in  the  Serhelloni  pal- 
ace.  aiKJ    then    the   soldier    hiidetriooni    was   olT    to    the    war 

a^aiii. 

Napoleon  was  now  in  a  desperate  situation.  Fifty  tiiousand 
Anstrians  hore  down  ajion  hmi,  wliere  he  stood  hetween  tli -ni 
and  their  hi>:  ^Mrrisi)n  in  .Mantua,  and  he  was  sni-rounded  i»y 
hostile  Italian  states.  'I'o  eoiiduit  the  foe  m  his  front  and  rear, 
he  had  hardly  more  tlian  40,001)  men,  and  many  thou.sands  of 
these  were  l)esie<rinij  the  fortress. 

While  waiting'  to  trrapple  with  the  n<w  Austrian  anny, 
uudcr  the  command  of  Marshal  Wurmscr,  he  induced 
Josephine  to  eome  to  Hn  scia,  and  sho  always  boasted  that  it 
was  her  presem-e  there  and  her  intuition  which  saved  her 
husband  from  falling'  into  the  hands  of  the  stealthily  advancing? 
enemy.  The  jjovernor  at  lii'eseia,  with  a  show  of  cordial  hos- 
pitality, proposed  a  -ireat  entertaiium  nt  in  her  honour,  hut 
siie  suspected  a  trap  and  at  her  ur«,'int  suggestion,  Nai)oleon 
left  the  threatened  city  to  join  his  army,  while  she  went  to 
Salo,  on  Lake  (larda,  where,  however,  she  found  herself  under 
fire  from  a  flotilla.  Lea{)ing  from  her  coach,  she  fled  afoot 
until  nearly  e.\hausted,  when  she  wd.s  picked  up  in  a  jieasant's 
two-wheeled  cart  and  conveyed  to  Castiglioue,  where  slic 
rushed  weeping  into  the  arms  of  her  htishand.  who  in  a  spirit 
o:  Corsican  vengeance  vowed,  "Tiie  Austrians  shall  pay  dear 
for  those  tears!" 

Josephine  weeping  was  a  spectacle  Napoleon  never  could 
view  uinnoved.  Often  it  was  to  h'ave  him  weak  and  inesolutc. 
Now  it  set  the  youthful  lover  afire  with  an  ambition  to  win 
another  victory,  to  console  and  dazzle  Josephine  with  a  new 
triumph. 

For  five  August  days,  he  did  not  take  off  his  boots  while 
he  smashed  right  and  left  at  two  Austrian  armies  until  he  had 


i 


m 
t 

1)4 
i 
•9 


1 


IN  TIIK  COCK  IMP  (»K   lllIfOl'K 


55 


ti.iliii  iitid  (li\  ulnl  (li.'in.  Ill  t.ir  ciiur-c  of  that  nuiiiiiiM;  jiyiit 
wliicli  liriits  tlir  iiiinic  of  fhf  Hiittlr  of  < '.isti^'liiiii'',  \u-  ro(!c  tivt- 
li(»rs«'S  to  tli'Jitli  iiiul  ni'arl.\-  fill  a  ri\\>U\r  in  llic  liainis  of  \\\r 
ftif.     ^'ofllin^r  biif   his  aiid.i  itx   saved  liiiii. 

Tuire  in  the  coiirst  of  that  siiirniif'  lie  was  in  innriinmt  peril 
nl'  'irini:  takii.  i)ris(»iier.  Ili  was  far  from  w.'ll  at  the  time 
III-  Ih'altli  liavin;,'  lieeij  imdennined  hy  poverty  in  his  .south 
,iiid  more  lale'y  hy  exposure  in  the  earthworks  at  Toulon,  lie 
u;is  still  sulVerin^r  frnm  blood  poisoning,'  which  he  eontraeted 
\'\  handling.'  an  infeeted  artillery  spoiiLre  in  the  sie^'c  of  that 
rity.     Sym{)toiMs  of  tuberculosis  also  had  develo|)ed. 

lie  hated  the  loathsome  dnifrs  in  the  pharmaeopnia  of 
that  day,  and  resisted  tlioin  like  a  stublioni  child.  The 
filly  th'iun  his  pliysieian  eould  do  to  relieve  his  fri>rlitful 
iicadaclies  was  to  plunt,'e  hiai  into  a  tutj  or  barrel  of  hot 
water. 

As  he  had  taken  otl'  a  shoe,  preparatory  to  nndressinfr  for 
sinli  a  bath  in  a  palace  near  Verona,  he  was  almost  captured, 
li'it  saved  himself  l)y  tleein}.'  throiif^h  the  jiarden  of  the  palace 
with  only  (»ne  shoe  on.  That  experience  led  him  to  forin  a 
body  of  (luides  for  his  persona)  protection,  a  corps  which  even- 
tually developed  irdo  the  famous  ^Juard.  Bessieres  was  their 
I'iider.  and  every  man  amonrr  tiiem  must  have  seen  at  least 
tell  years  of  service. 

.\iiother  day  neither  the  Guides  nor  flictht  and  nothing  but 
his  own  audacity  could  save  him  from  falliufr  into  the  hands 
<)t'  tile  enemy.  The  Austrians  had  been  so  confused  by  the 
l'!ow  they  received  in  a  battle  at  Lonato  that  4()(iO  of  them 
uiindered  about  the  country  in  a  body,  without  knowing  which 
\vii.\-  to  go.  In  their  wandering  they  strayed  back  to  the  lost 
battletield  of  the  day  before,  wliere  they  stumbled  upon  and 
Mirrounded  1200  French. 

The  officer  demanding  the  surrender  of  this  little  force  was 
hliiidfolded,  as  usual,  before  being  conducted  to  lu-adquarters 
with  his  flag  of  truce.  There  Napoleon  had  quickly  mounted 
liis  stair  and  drawn  his  (iuid(>s  aroiind  him  in  an  imposing 
iirray.  When  the  bandage  was  removed,  the  eyes  of  the  Aus- 
trian opened  wide  with  amozetnont  as  he  found  b.iijiself  before 


:)6 


IX  THE  FOOTSTHPS  OF  NAPOLP:OX 


the  (itT'^ral-iii-rliifl'  of  llic  Frrncli,  who,  having  put  on  his 
must  terrifying  cxiiri'ssion,  addressed  the  messenger  in  an 
inclii-'nant   tone: 

"What  means  this  insult?  Have  you  the  insolence  to  bring 
a  summons  of  sui'render  to  me  in  tlie  ndddle  of  my  army? 
Say  to  those  wlio  sent  you  that  unless  they  lay  down  tiieir 
anus  within  eigiit  minutes,  every  man  of  them  shall  he  shot." 
And  it  did  not  take  eij,dit  miimtes  for  the  4000  to  surrender 
to  the  12(10! 

It  is  stranire  tliat  it  sliould  have  been  amont:  the  very  hills 
where  Napoleon  won  the  victory  of  Castiizlione,  that  Victor 
EuHuanuel  and  NaiioUon  111  foufjlit  the  Battle  of  Solferiim 
sixty-three  years  afterward  when  Austria  was  driven  out  of 
Lomhardy  forever.  Tlie  tall  tower  of  San  Martino  commemo- 
rates that  triumpli,  and  on  its  inner  walls  are  inscribed,  in 
bronze,  the  names  of  no  less  than  ().")(),()()()  Italians  who  took 
part  in  the  wars  for  the  liberation  of  Italy. 

Marshal  Wurmser,  defeatetl  at  Casti^'lione,  retired  to  the 
mountains  of  Tyrol  but  oidy  long  enouu'li  to  reinforce  his 
shattered  army.  Again,  however,  he  divided  his  force,  which 
numbered  4"),U(>0,  and  in  Si-pteml)er  he  movetl  southward  in 
two  eohnans.  As  lie  advanr  •(!,  N'ai)oleon  went  to  meet  him 
and  the  clash  i-auu'  in  the  narrow  Tyrolean  passes.  At  the  <'iid 
of  a  swift,  hot  eampaign,  the  Austrians,  with  oidy  a  fourth 
of  their  original  strenu'th.  made  their  way  down  into  Italy 
and  Wunnser  hastenetl  to  shut  himself  up  in  the  fortress  of 
]\Iontua. 

Ai\oth(>'-  army  of  50,000  was  gatliered  by  Austria  the  next 
month  and  jtlaced  under  the  command  of  ^leneral  Alvinzi. 
lie,  lOO,  divided  his  forces,  but  the  litth'  band  of  French  v  '-. 
so  reduced  by  this  time  that  Napoleon  could  not  show  a  supe- 
riority of  numbers  at  any  jioint. 

With  his  small,  worn-out  army,  lie  met  Alvinzi  in  Novem- 
iier  at  ('aldiei-o  where  the  mountains  of  \'enetia  come  down 
to  the  jijaiu.  It  is  ,i  licauti!'ul  and  fruitful  land,  the  grape- 
vines stretching  in  garlands  from  tree  to  Irce  in  the  orchards. 
This  afVords  a  lU'ctty  decorative  et'l'ect  for  tourist  eyes,  but  til'' 
Austrian  and  Ficndi  stouis  failed  to  enjoy  it  because  those 


IN  THE  corivriT  of  j<:urope 


'U 


i  sioniis  lirokt'   tlu'   vi,.-\v  aiid    hafllcd   tliciii    in   tlicir  work  of 
u.itrliiiii,'  the  inovfiiicnts  ol'  troops. 

Niipolcoii  lost  ;it  Ciildicro  tlic  opcninjjj  fijrlit  in  tluit  initumnal 
r;iiiip;iitrn  of  17!)G.  'I'lirrc.  for  tlic  lirst  time,  Ik-  Icfl  tlic  ciiciiiy 
ii!i  ,1  lichl  of  l)attl('.  I'nult'iK'c  dictated  his  rctirfincnt  ts/vvard 
in'  Ailda.  Hut  courauc  coutis.'Uod  a  bolder  stroke.  The 
iii'.riil  lie  moved  in  silence  out  of  Verona,  the  crestfallen  troops 
I'll  they  were  in  retreat  until  hy  a  sudden  turn  they  found 
tiMiiiselves  Muirehinf;  aloiifj  the  liiver  Adi^'e.  Their  eoin- 
iiiander  had  determined  to  stake  everything:  on  an  etl'ort  to 
L'ct  around  Alvinzi  and  i-ut  his  eonimunications. 

And  he  eiiose  one  of  the  stranjjest  battlefields  iu  iho  peofj- 
iMpliy  of  warfare.  Where  the  little  River  Alpone  flows  down 
to  join  the  Adijro.  tiear  the  village  of  Konco,  th-M-e  is  a  bip 
iiiiirsh  lyinp  between  the  two  streams,  across  v/hich  ther<'  are 
oii!.\  two  diked  causeways,  •  nd  an  army  cannot  move  except 
li\'  those  roads. 

When  Napoleon  came  down  from  Verona,  he  j)ht  that  marsh 
ti'twirn  him  and  Alvinzi,  whei'e  the  enemy  would  lose  the 
.ii!\:intaL'e  of  ^'reater  nund)ers,  for  no  more  Austrians  than 
I'll  ii.hmeii  could  advance  abreast  on  those  two  narrow  roads. 
it  was  a  clever  choice  of  ground,  and  the  only  means  of  avert- 
iiiL''  a  disaster. 

The  Fi'eiich  marched  out  of  Ronco  by  both  can.seways,  r)ut 
t(^  accoTnplish  their  main  purpose  and  f^et  in  the  rear  of  the 
Austrians  they  .strufr<j;led  for  three  days  to  cross  the  tifty-foot 
I'ridire  over  the  Alpone.  At  one  i-nd  of  the  famous"  little 
I  nd-.'  to-day  sits  the  village  ot  Arcole,  several  miles  from  a 
r;iilt(iad  or  even  a  hi.irhroail.  From  the  other  end  stretches 
tlie  marsh,  which  is  now  drained  and  converted  into  well- 
t'  iidcd  fields  as  level  as  the  prairie  farms  in  the  Mis.-,issippi 
^  illcy.  ()|T  acrt  ss  the  fields  I'ises  the  church  tower  of  Konco, 
troiii  which  Xapolcon  saw  the  enemy  huldinj,'  the  brid<re,  while 
the  ciajirs  of  the  bordering;  mountains  on  the  nortli  stick  out 
as  sh;n-p  a.s  the  barbs  on  a  wire  fence.  It  was  through  those 
nuiLrli  passes  that  ■!'•.'  Austrian  monarch  poured  the  blood  of 
Austria  and  Ilunfrary  in  torrents  to  ransom  his  rich  Italian 
I'fovince  from  the  French. 


58 


IN  TUE  FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLEON 


On  tlic  little  Arcolc  bnd<,'o  tho  two  i,'rca  nations  of  ^nnti- 
ucntal  Europt-  rou^'llt  lor  tliiv<'  days  like  do^'s  ovit  a  l)one. 
It  is  as  nuK'  a  structure  as  tliat  which  arrhcd  the  tlnod,  where, 
their  tla^'  to  April's  hree/e  unfurled,  tiie  euihattled  fanners 
stood  and  lired  thr  shot  heard  round  the  world. 

H.v  C'oneord  hridfje  a  i)eople  passed  to  independonee  and 
l?r"atness.  Hy  Areoi.^  In-idjre  Italy,  too,  passed  U)  independ- 
enec,  but,  alas,  she  had  many  more  rivers  still  to  cross. 

Hiyrh  hanks  had  been  thrown  up  alonf?  the  Alpone  to  con- 
tine  its  waters  and  the  road  reaches  the  brid-e  at  either  end 
by  a  steep  j,'rad.-.  The  French  officers  rushed  to  the  head  of 
their  column  when  it  wavered  before  a  detachnu.nt  of  Aus- 
trian troops  who  detVndcd  the  bridu'e.  Thev  hopetl  to  repeat 
the  diish  at  Lodi.  P,ut  their  show  of  bravery  was  lost  and 
Lann.'s  and  several  other  -renerals  were  wouiured.  Aufnirean. 
seizing  a  (L  -  lea|K'd  upon  the  brid^'e  and  taunted  bis  men 
as  they  bent  under  tlie  storm  of  the  enemy's  f,nins,  "Cowards 
do  you  fear  death  too  much?"  Alas,  tiiey  loved  life  too  well. 
Then  Napol..on  himself  took  the  lead,  while  Lannes,  for- 
ffettinu-  his  wounds,  rose  from  Ins  hospital  cot  to  follow  him. 
'J  he  little  (ieneral  si)ranjr  upon  the  bridjre,  wiicre  he  wa.s 
cau','ht  m  a  furious  swirl  of  lijxhtiuf?  French  an.i  Croats 
Brave  .Muirou  threw  himself  before  him  to  cover  him  with 
his  body  and  was  struck  tiead  at  the  feet  of  his  chief. 

The  bridge  could  not  lie  taken  bv  .storm.  The  (ieneral-in- 
ehiof  was  whirled  back  will  his  m.^n  and  j)ushed  otf  tho  step 
prrade  ol  the  road  into  what  was  then  a  <|ua^nidre.  Tlie  Little 
Corporal  literally  was  stuek  i-i  the  mud,  clo.se  by  where  a 
stone  shaft,  a  piece  of  -raveyard  art,  now  commemorates  his 
''esiierate  battle  for  the  l.rid-e.  Marmont  and  Louis  Bona- 
parte were  foremost  amon<r  those  who  ran  to  his  a.ssistance 
and  rescued  him  from  the  .'iiemy.  Lannes  was  wounded  again 
and  Napoleon  lamented  all  his  life  tho  death  of  the  devoted 
Muiron. 

The  third  day  of  hard  (igluinfr  about  Arcole  was  drawiiiL' 
to  a  clo.se  witii  both  armies  unnerved  and  sick  of  battle  each 
oMh  waitms:  for  the  oth,.r  to  .p.if  from  e.Kliaustion.  Then 
Napoleon,  who  had  ben  unabl..  to  win  with  blood  and  powder, 


IX  TIL-:  C'OCKPIT  OF  ECROPE 


59 


:!!n"il   the 


tl 


victor.v   by  an  ahsiml 


luiiids  of  t\v('iit\-(ivc   h 


"  nisc.     Placin-r  trumpct.s  in 

llu-   Mo.s,.  of  tlu-  tr,unp,.ts  struVk  terror  to  the   faintin-^ 
•"""«»;  (<\.ili\     .,„.,.    last  (imp  of  roura.,'.'  Irff  tluMu    -im.I 

=:;i;:n;;i'7:— ririr^-.^- 
N..tmo:  .low,,  in  the  lonH.v  palaoo  he  wrote  her  s:  if  his 


"'  '"  F.:;",h"  "  1<\'"'  '"  7"  ^""  ♦"  "'>'  '-'-^-y-  -re  not 


-  '-.annoy  yo..^ 

' ^.V;.^;;::,/::;;v■'''^•-;'-;;''l™-w■,yVxp..,,ace 

-  -"  y-.  a  k,ss.     Ah,  Jcephine/jolep  LV  '      '^'^"^  "^  "^"^^ 


CHAPTER  VIII 


COX(^ri:h'IN(!  ATSTHIA 

WIIFA'  X;ii")olt'Oii  liiul  (Irivt'ii  the  Anstrians  off  the 
Loinhjirdy  |)liiiii  four  titiics.  anotluT  iiriiiy  of 
40.000  white  ronts,  iuhIcI'  (iciici';il  Al>.  inzi,  startcil 
down  t!ie  dctilos  of  tlic  Tvrol  in  the  tlcpth  of  the  winter  of 
1 71)6-7. 

Xapoleon  was  in  doulit  wliei'e  to  find  and  meet  the  main 
cohimn  of  tlie  enemy  until  late  of  a  .January  niirlit  when  In- 
divined  that  Alvin/.i's  own  eoiinn.md  was  lieailed  sti'aiirht  fur 
\'erona  alonu'  tlie  hanks  of  tne  Adij,'e.  Orderiiiix  reinforce- 
ments to  follow  him  at  full  sju'ed  he  raced  to  Kivoli,  seventeen 
miles  north,  where  10.000  Fi'eueh  were  reeoilinii'  in  the  pres- 
ence of  2N.000  Anstrians.  Fairly  HyiuL'  on  his  horse  tiirough 
a  cohl,  white  niiilit  he  ari'ived  at  the  Fi'ench  position  at  four 
o'eloek  in  the  morning'  and  with  liis  eheerini:  assurance  that 
1 '5,000  men  were  coming'  to  the  .«ui)port  of  the  sorely  beset 
10,000,  he  was  just  in  time  to  avert  a  retreat. 

Tiie  l)attlclield  of  li'ivoli  is  a  chissie  iu  military  toponraphy. 
It  is  a  liroad.  fairly  level  phiteau,  with  mounlains  risiiiL'  hc- 
fore  and  lieiiind  it;  the  Ailifxe  rushes  alonu'  one  side,  and  a 
raiifie  of  hills  on  the  west  runs  down  to  Lake;  (Jarda,  six  miles 
away. 

•:)n  that  drill  L'round  Napoleon  foiuid  the  French  on- 
camped.  OtT"  toward  .Monte  lialdo,  on  whose  snows  the  niooii 
^distened,  he  saw  the  wide-tluiiLT  line  of  camp  fires  of  the  sk'cp- 
int,'  Austiians.  "'['lie  air  was  aflame  with  them,"  he  said. 
But  tile  enemy  to  uain  a  fooliu'^'  on  the  plateau  must  climb 
up  steep,  crooked  and  icy  roads,  aiid  tiiose  /i^izai;'  paths  were 
to  determini'  the  residt  of  the  hattie. 

Without  waiting  ior  the  Anstrians  to  open  the  attack  or  for 

00 


('ONt^L'EiilNc;  ALSTKIA 


61 


th.'  reiu'ii  nMnfnrM.monts  to  arrive,  Xapolron  at  once  took 
tl  aL'gr.vs  \v.  Ill  th.-  ci-  licr  hours  tli.-t  lollowd  the  siin- 
I  tl..'  Aiistriaiis  .in  ,■  u,  tli.Mr  tors  at  cwrv  point  of  coii- 
lari  aii.l  thr  iteiUM  -u  catch  thna  ii,  the  rcaV  as  well  as  to 
rliiiih  up  on  .110  philcau  -nui  hrcais  through  tlicir  front. 

Napoh'on  sat  on  his  1»,  se  as  calmly  a.s  at  a  review  while 
I  IS  lui.  wavered  and  with  anxious  eyes  his  <reii(Tais  waiched 
Ins  'acr.  He  was  only  waitinur  for  the  .vustrian>  in  front  t- 
li  •  111'  and  low  their  wiiite  coals  above  the  edu'e  of  the 
l'l.il''au,  for  his  art.  lery  to  .atcli  them  on  <Mtlier  side  while 
lus  uif,-  try  dash.'d  at  the  li.-ad  of  their  cohuun  and  Uind)l..d 
'!!'•■  down  .he  slope.  As  for  the  ^liite  coats  in  his  rear 
th.  y.  too,  were  just  wh.'re  he  wanted  them,  readv  to  be  caii-dit 
in  their  own  rear  by  the  French  ivinforcenients  couiin-  up 
!r(i!ii  \  erona. 

Whrn  he  h.  ;ird  the  -loatin-  shouts  of  th.'  Austrians  b.-hind 
iiiin  wiiere  they  fon.lly  believd  ih,.y  had  him  anci  his  armv 
cnriosed  withui  a  wall  of  st.-el,  he  .•huckled  softlv.  '-Xow  v,'e 
h.ive  them!"  Every  mm  of  that  riankh.L,'  column  was  cap- 
ture,!, while  the  artillery  smashed  a. id  the  cavalrv  dashed  to 
l;i"''cs  the  eolnnins  that  .scramble,]  up  the  northern  steeps  of 
tile  heights  of  Kivoli. 

Alvinzi  took  t^ight  from  the  scene  uith  much  less  than  half 
the  men   Ii..   1  ,d   led   down   from    Tn-nt.     Napoleon,    in   less 
lian  t,..,  months,  had  van,,uished  the  fifth  armv  which  Aus- 
tria lia,i  sent  against  him. 

I^il<(>  a  circus  showing  in  one-day  towns,  the  main  bodv  of 
'H''  l-r,neli  broke  camp  as  soon  as  the  bat  ,e  was  won  '\ot 
1'".-  after  mi.lni-ht  they  w.Te  on  the  march  southward  to 
i>revent  the  Au.strian  division,  which  had  mov,.,l  down  tli,' 
other  side  of  Lak,-  (ianla,  from  relievinir  Mantua  The  re 
inlorcenu.nts  at  Rivoli  had  march,.,!  fourteen  miles  the  ni-lit 
l">t«re  ti„.  battl,-.  Aft,.r  fighting  all  day  *hev  were  row  "on 
s  tturty-mile  ,„.,rch  towanl  Mantua,  most  of  them  without 
.vnig  ,iovn.  They  arriv.'d  on  the  new  fiehl  of  conflict  in 
tu.ie  not  only  to  avert  the  junction  of  th,.  marching  Austrians 
^  iTM  til-  .Mantuan  garrison,  but  to  catch  all  of  the  9000  of 
them  in  a  net. 


IN"  THK   l-'OOTSTKPS  OK  NAI'OLKOX 


M.-intiiii  was  tnitrriuu'-  to  its  fall.     The  incii  iicminrd  within 
ils   waIN   could    no   lonui'i"    i' 


salted  h(ir.' 


meat.      Di 


eeei\e    eXCll    tllei''    halt     I'atioiis    of 
si'ase  a.s  \M'll  as  famine  threatened  their 


e.xtefminat  ion.  Hue  niirht  in  early  l-'ehniai'v,  Wunnsef  sent 
an  oflirer  lo  the  tent  of  (ien.  Seuri'ier.  the  eonnnander  of  the 
liesieuin^'  force,  to  lind  out  what  kind  of  ha^'frain  could  be 
made.  The  messen^'er  hoasted,  as  usual,  of  the  streii<;tli  and 
iiiduiauee  left  in  the  L'ai'rison,  and  of  its  rich  stores,  sul'fit'ieiit 
lionnt  ifully  to  .supply  the  men  foi-  three  months  more. 

lie  had  no  thoui;ht  that  the  youu'j-  French  otiicer  wlio, 
\vrap|ied  in  his  (doak.  was  sittiiiL--  in  a  dark  corner  of  the  ;  'iit, 
scrilililimr  <>n  a  sheet  of  papei-,  was  the  famous  (leiieral-in- 
chi(  f.  At  last  the  little  man  in  the  cloak  ceased  his  serihbliiif,' 
and,  walkinu'  to  the  table,  tlwew  the  paper  upon  it. 

"Thei-e,"  said  Xapohon,  '"ar'  the  conditions  which  I  will 
•rrant.  If  your  m.irshal  had  provisions  only  for  three  weeks 
ind   talked  of  surreiidi'r   he  would  deserve   my   contempt.      I 


xMow   the  extrendties  to  which    he   is  reduceil. 


anil 


his    valour,    his    misfcrtunc,    and 


i    respect 


his   a 


•re.      Whether    lie    sur- 


reiidiis  t( -mori'ow,  in  a  month,  or  in  three  months,  he  shall 
have  neither  betti'r  nor  harder  conditions.  lie  may  .stay  as 
loiiL:  as  his  sense  of  honour  prompts  him  to  hold  out." 

Wliiii  the  .\ustrian  army  hobbled  out  of  the  Verona  <rate  of 
Mantua  the  mxt  morninc'.  expeclitiL;-  to  see  tlieii'  venerable 
co'nmander    humbled    bet'oi'e    his    youthful    conuueror,    Xa[)o- 


■on    had    left   tl 


e    scene,    ai)i 


1    t 


le  ai^ed   Wurniser  was  s[)are( 

cap 


that    humdiation.     The  .'iO.OOO    Freuidi    now   had    40,000 
tives  to  theii'  credit  within   less  than  a   month. 

Wlii'ii   not   an   Austrian   remained    in  arms  on    Italian  soil 
Napoleon  at   last   received  reinforcements  from  the   Direetorv 


the  spriiiL;-   found   him  with  SO, ()()()  men   under  his  c 


mand.     Takiu'.:    half   of   that    force    wit 


0111- 


1   him,   he   set   out   m 


.M, 


irch  on  the  road 


to    \''"I11 


la,  where,  bv  tlfeateiiiiiL''  the  Aus- 


trian   capital,    he    liojied    lo    brin<r  the    Kmperor   to   te.'ins   of 
.     Hut    Austria,    victorious    a^'ainst    the    Armv    of    the 


H 


line 


if  so  olteii  overwhelmed  by  the  Ariiiv  of  Italv.  calh 


ll;e  youiiL'.  royal  commander,  the  Andidiike  Charles,  frcMii  h 


IS 


Held  of  \ictor\'  in  the  wesi    to  tw  his  lam 


ith  tl 


ce  witli  ttio  young 


% 
\ 

I 


'ill-     l.iiiii     Ciiitl'ui:  \f.    A  r    1I1I-:    KiiiiK.i.    m-     I.udi 


^\  111!    -lo-l  IMIIM       VI     A     1    l,l>     IN     .\:il  A.N 


rt' 


IK' 

ii;i 


Ml, 


wif 

tni 


ill   ( 


a  \;i 
a  cli 


in  s| 
Icon ' 


ISI     11 


Til 
ve 


ha 


iiioiin 

sciTiii 


ii 


los. 


<""X<jrKK'I.\<i   .\lsn;|.\ 


(i.{ 


l'<'pil!i!l(;iii 


w-nn,,ai...;.s  •^■''■"''"'■"■.  <'nl.v   ,u,.nty-,iv,..  .,,,1   ,1,,. 

.Inu„,    :,.'':;'.:'''?'''■''•'•'''  '-tw....n  .,.,,, ...Is  who 


'- '''■'•'.  Alps      r-  rt        ,          •     '"'""■'■^''""    I--'"-"-    .'f   ,l„. 
'  :\'P-v     l.irt  ol  th,.  u,iy  ovrr  u  1,1,1,  I,..  i,.,i  .,; 


''■Ii  I"'  lr,l  his  tnuips, 
■  h' 

!'""''i'"i  "',,1  pnii,.,i  ;,n.i  h.ui;.:r  "'■"■  ■  ''"'"•■ '"'"'""' "'"' 


I'    tli;iii    ;i    I 


ill, 


I,   ,    ,    I  ; '  ■""  "•"• HM  11,..  sl.vtv  ,1 

'        '"""•'•''  "^•"•'-  tin.  i,..i.hts  ,h;.M„i:h   fhiv. 


'■■   >^l"''t.\-    lll((llllt;M||   si,|,.s, 
Wl.rfr  th.rc    \v,c    ,,,,f  •  I-  .    ■" '"'     ''''■'    •'•'   !^'in\V. 

"^:;M ... ..  i::;i:;,r'rir;r™:i„'::-- -■  ■-■>• 

>•■'>"  i-'ivH.ir  |.,m  „n  ivsfinjr  tiun 
■■"•'"■Nt    for   th..   first    till! 


:::---'-M,,,,  ,i,,,, ,,,,,,,,,  ■^;;:r;-;i^^^^^ 


itli'ss   jmr- 


lli'    hr;i(l    of 
!<•    hrow    of 

lii-'i  liaiid. 
1 
r 


■I'll'vissitson  th,.  summit  of  th.  Xuri,.    \l„s  -.t  t 

/,;;;;;;;  ;;;;o.  not   om,,.^ 

''■'^"   i'iMu.l    tlu.ir   towns       \  '"'"''""'-''♦■' *'"■>• 


64 


IN  TllK  l-"«><) 


TSTKl'S  ()!•'  NAI'OLKON 


that  .sliut   ill  tht'  |i 


111.     And  ;i»   r\r'-y  an 


,tl.'  to  tliri'a 


tell  llii'  invader  i>l 


liusi-    w 


;lr  liiiTf  is  an  o 
ild    fa^-tni'SSfS. 


1,1 


hf    r< 


•tfcat  iiiLr 


Aiistrians  wnv  s|'«r. 


Iilv    nirllintr  ii^^'iy   "" 


i\vV    tlK'    Ihi 


t    onslaii'-'hts  o 


t'   Na|)(ih(in   an 


1    Uv    fniilid    tlif    roa 


i 


stnwn   \M 


til  tlii'ir  SI 


•k  and  woundrd,  wiicuii 


lirv 


liaiidnnr^ 


tlicir  rti-ht  to  \\u'  111.  TCI. s  (I 


in 

scciidin'j  ill 


I'  till'  flrlllrl 


ts  and  ill'-  lo"'-     "' 


to  till'  vallry  o 


1„.  Diavr.  he  sent  on  aliead  from 


Klau.iifurt  to  t 


h,.  Aivhdukean  appeal  for  peaee,  saymi-': 


SIX 


Brave  soldiers  make 
years?     Have  we 


lis 


s(irni\vni'4  la 


war  ami  ile>ire 

nut    killeil    emi 

imauity  ' 


H. 


■t  this  on* 


la>n 


U'^^li    men    ami    m 


ihcteil   eimu-l 


Kveii   a  prinee  o 


f   the  ohh'st    royal   house   of    Kurope   eoulu 


IK 


)1    take    exee| 


lio:i  to  the   lofty  tone  o 


f  that   euni 


nunieatiiin 


1  roi 


,1    the    CorsKH 


II    lepiibliean 


Charles   n 


ous  I'eply  ami  relerre( 


1  the  letter  to  his  brother,  the  Kmi 


who,    himself 
The  iiiiperia 


lllTadv     lleeilP. 


luriied   a   eourte- 
>i'ior, 
foe. 


from    the    oneomiii'. 


1   fainilv  ahaiidoneil  th.'ir  i^ahiees  i 


n   Viiima  ami 


ihaiidoned  their  eaj 


ipital  ill  terro 


r  at.  the  ai'proa 


)!1 


hliean 


hosts.     Auioiiu-   the    fu-itives,   running'   away 


•h  of  the  re- 
I'roiii 


Xai)oleon,  the  oi:' 


re  ( 


f  eveiy   royal  lious.',   was  a  six-year-oui 


)rilieeSS, 
After  tiuM-e 


the  Arehduehess  Marii'  l.ouis. 


Austrian  defeats  aiu 


1  when  the  Freueh  wore  at 


Leoheii.    01 
runs,  am 


;lv   \\i    miles 


I'om   Vienna,   as   tiU-    ra 


ilroad  now 


1   more  than    10()   mi 
their  eampaiun  .iust   four  we, 


les   from   the  startinu'  point  ot 
ks  h<d'oie,  Austria 


e> 


ied  euou^ 


am 


1  laid  down  her  •inns. 


Her  e'.voys  eame 


to  Leohen.  m  its  lU' 


Itv  vale,  and  eiioos- 


inu'  a  ^anl 


■  li  as  neiitra 


in   a   Slimmer   iiouse 


jiiuhle  of   the   aru 


1  ,. round,  thev  met  the  eonqueror  there 

ted   to  write    in   the   pre- 

>t   that    the    Kmperor  of 


As   thev  star 


listiee  tlie  stateiiioi 


(iermany    ivent.'nise( 


mamle( 


1,  "Stri 


1    the    French    Repnhlie.    Napoh'ou    com- 
ko'that  out;  the  Republic  is  like  the  sun;  uoik' 


but  the  blind  ean  I'ail  to  roeogiuse  u. 


? 


iwi 

ran 

het 


wal 


str 

thr 
iiir 
ha' 
del 


thi 
W 


on 


(MlAPTKli  IX 

NATIONS  AT  TllK   FKKT  oF  A   \()ITII 

17!)(i-lV.i7       A(iK    .;ii-J7 

MILAN  was  NiipoU'Oir.s  tirst  capital,  his  traiiiinir  school 
III  the  trad.'  of  ciupirc  From  tlic  tickis  ..f  his  imli- 
tai-y  virini-irs,  wlicrc  lie  \aii.niislicil  i"<»iir  Austrian 
.•■  iin-als  ami  liv.'  Austrian  armies,  winning'  liis  way  in  a  year 
twice  across  the  Alps  an.l  fn. iii  the  shores  of  the  .Mediter- 
ranean to  the  valley  of  the  Danube,  li-  dashed  into  tlie  city 
l.rtwerii  hattlcs  to  ucL'otiate  tfisith's  aiid   create  states, 

A.  ross  the  s.piarc  from  the  famous  .athedral  staiul  the 
walK  of  the  tirst  royal  i)alace  in  which  he  ever  slept.  It  is 
,1  lii._',  sp'-awliiit:,  dreary  i.ile  whi<'h  cumhers  an  acre  or  so  of 
■  aith  ami  which  in  .silent  -.doom  remains  iiiitciianted  now- 
adays ex.'e|.t  for  a  rare  visit  from  the  King  of  Italy  or  some 
in.nilicr  of  the  reiu'nin>_'  family. 

Wlicn  Napoleon  'irst  .ntcred  Milan  in  his  brand-new  glory 
id't.r  tlie  dash  across  the  bridi:e  of  Lodi  in  May,  1TI»G.  iie 
strode  into  this  palace  as  tli.'  Austrian  Archduke  tied  out 
the  back  door.  ('111111)1111:  into  the  viceregal  bed  of  a  llaps- 
iuir>r  prince,  he  who  had  never  known  a  roof  of  his  own  must 
have  i>roudly  contra.stcd  his  new  lodgings  with  his  $2  a  month 
dcii  at  .Mile.  Hou's  in  Valence  only  four  years  before. 

The  people,  however,  did  not  think  this  abidiiii:  place  of  the 
Viscoiiti,  the  Sforzas  and  the  Spanish  and  Austrian  viceroys. 
this  home  of  desi)otism  for  (itHI  years,  was  a  suitabh  dwelling 
'ur  their  rejuiblicaii  libei'ator.  the  youim  scour'jv  of  tyrants. 
When  he  came  again  a  patriotic  aristocrat  invited  iiim  to  ac- 
-.pt  his  house  and  he  went  to  live  in  th.'  Scrbelloni  palace— 
on  the  C'orso  Vcne/.ia,  a  few  s(|uare.s  behind  the  cathedral. 

05 


MICROCOPY    RESOLUTION    TEST    CHART 

ANSI  and  ISO  TEST  CHART  N>.    ^ 


1.0 


I.I 


1.25 


■  32 


1.4 


j|jZ5 
III  2.2 

[2.0 
1.8 

1.6 


^  APPLIED  IIVMGE     Inc 

^^,  "b'jj    tost    Mair     ifeet 

-  -=  ^oc-.este'.    New    rork         '4609        jiA 

' i"6)    482  -  0300  -  Phone 


GO 


I.\  TIIH  FOOTSTKl'S  OF  NAI'OLKO.X 


Till'  Scrtii'lloni  is  far  uku-i'  licaui  il'iil  ihr ,  tin  royal  palafT 
and  pfdlialily  the  most  lirautil'iil  of  all  tin-  palaces  of  Milan, 
'i'lic  passcrliy  on  tlic  street  eai'  may  see  only  its  se\'ei'e  e.\. 
terior,  witli  the  marlile  talijet  coiniiieiiioralinu''  Napoleon's 
tenancy,  ami  niiulit,  not  siispcrt  lis  inner  heauties,  its  i:-reat 
cohnnns  and  iiohle  conrtxard.  its  I'oyal  halls  adorned  l)y  the 
briislies  of  'i'iliaii,  Ve!as(|ne/.  Salvator  Eosa  and  other  masters. 

'riiei'e  in  the  Srrlielloni.  dosepliine  was  installed  liy  Na- 
poleon when  she  eanie  on  from  I'ai'is  and  it  was  tlieir  lioney- 
1110011  iiest.  'I'here  tliev  served  their  apprenticeship  in  the 
art  of  I'ei'jiiiii'^-,  rei|i]iiiiiM-  neither  a  royal  palace  nor  a  royal 
crown   for  theii"  rehearsal. 

Napoleon,  indeed,  liai'dly  needed  to  .sindy  the  part.  Na- 
ture .seems  to  have  cast  him  for  it.  Tn  the  ob.eiirity  and 
poverty  of  his  youth  there  was  soiiiethini.''  imperial  in  liis  bear- 
ing and  temjier.  someMiinLi'  that  marked  him  ajiart  and  held 
him  aloof  from  his  fellows.  Tlie  world  only  called  him  (|ueer 
tiien,  hilt  the  instant  he  'jaiiied  power  it  acclaimed  liim  rrreat. 

The  transition  came  in  a  day.  Veteran  ii<'nerals  of  the 
Army  of  Italy  were  transformed  at  once  from  liis  critics  into 
his  courtiers  and  he  hail  no  more  than  sat  down  in  Milan 
than  a  court  spontaneously  formed  around  him.  Wliile  the 
populace  stood  liy  the  hour  on  the  Corso  N'enezia  waiting  to 
catch  a  'jlniiiise  of  him  as  he  entered  or  left  the  palace,  his 
ofliccrs  and  the  meniliers  of  the  .Milanese  ai'istocraey  sat  in 
the  i^rand  drawini:  room  with  their  eyes  on  the  hiir  foldiiiu' 
doors,  watehin;^''  fm-  tlieiii  to  swiny:  wide  and  for  him  to  appear 
liefore  them.  The  moment  they  .saw  him,  every  one  of  them, 
men  and  woiip'n  alike,  Freneh  reiiiiiilieans  eipially  with 
Italian  aristocrats,  sprantr  to  their  feet  and  bowed  in  silent 
hoiiia.  '  beneath  the  eaule-like  t.daiice  of  his  deep-set  <jrrey  eyes. 

As  _^  ■{  his  eyes  wi're  almost  the  oiil\  frature  that  men  re- 
marked in  the  personal  presence  of  this  little,  loiiLi-haircd. 
pinched  fare  ( ieiieral-in-ehief.  Ills  hail,  frail,  uirlish  tiuiiri- 
mi'jht  have  lieeii  that  of  a  jioet  slarviiii:  for  a  piihlishei-.  His 
stoopiiej.  almost  round  shoulders  and  j)alli(l  countenance  suii- 
Lic.sted  t!ie  .study  room  of  a  scholar  rather  tiian  tiie  camii  of  a 
eoiMiueror. 


.\.\T1().\S  AT  Till-:   FKKT  OF  A   VolTlI  G7 


SihMvss  iiii.l  -lory  liad  yrt  foiiii,!  mo  rrfl<.ctioii  in  his  visa-o 
■Mi.l  It  was  still  as  sorrowful  as  uiifn  it  l.nit  owr  ih,.  plate  ot" 
,1  >ix-soii  (liriiKT  in  a  chcai)  ivstauraiit  of  i'aris  or  in  suiridal 
I  M. Illation  uazr,]  Joii-in-jy  m^on  tlir  Rlion.'  at  \'alrn(v  The 
niie  suMierly  thin-  al.out  his  ai.i.earane,.  was  his  nniforni  and 
til  !t  was  a.s  plain  as  the  army  iv-nlatioiis  pcniiitti'd. 

Til.-  artist  (iros  hn.s  desei'ibe,!,  hm  should  liave  painted  a 
pivtty  seen,'  at  the  Scrhrlloni  uhm  h.'  came  from  Paris'to 
I'lnnt  his  celebrated  pi.-tuiv  of  Napoleon  on  tiie  brid-e  of 
Aivole.  Never  iindinjr  his  sni)jeet  at  rest  Ion-  eiioimii  to  eii- 
^li'l-  I'lin  to  Stan  the  lucture,  IJie  onlv  sittini:^  lie  obtain.'.! 
v-,v  .iueetiy  aft.>r  bivakfast  wIumi,  for  his  beii.-lit.  .J(js..phiiio 
-i.,e1i,n.-.s  obh-in-ly  held  the  Little  Corp.jral  on  Ii.m-  krne. 

"Mt  .in  til.'  old  Coino  rcjad,  only  a  few  miles  fi'om  Milan 
>t,iiids  auotiier  nionument  of  Napoleon's  Italian  reiirn  in  tlu' 
ni'  Inn.-holy  form  of  a  lunatic  asylum.  This  i).',llam  once  vas 
!i"  lov.-ly  villa  of  Monteb.-llo,  and  the  walls  that  now  echo 
..'•k  th.'  chatter  of  a  colony  of  p.„u-,  il.'nient.'d  creatuirs  re- 
>|.iin,l,.d  in  oth.-r  days  with  the  mirth  of  vouth  r.'joicin-  in 
the  hrst  harvest  of  is  ambition. 

In  his  .s..coud  and  last  .summer  in  Italv,  aft.r  the  anui.stice 
uiih  Austria,  Napok-on  l,.ft  th..  h.'at  of  tlu'  citv.  tor  Milan 
IS  .me  ot  the  hott.'st  places  in  Italy,  and  took  up  "his  r..si.leiice 
;'t  tins  villa,  wlii.^h  time  has  c!iani:..d  boyon.l  r.'counition.  It 
|vas  th.-n  a  -r.-at  country  palace,  sittin-  far  ba.-k  from  tli.> 
I'l^liroad  ni  a  large  jiark,  with  .■ool,  sliadv  av.'nues,  j.rettv 
l';uiitains,  in-enious  -rottoos,  and  all  the  exqui.site  l.)veliness 
'"  an  Italian  retreat.  Two  flights  of  st,.ps  led  up  to  the  broa.i 
I  i:;h  t.-rraco  that  ran  along  th.'  front  and  .sides  of  th..  villa 
:"'iii  which  the  Alixs  could  be  s.'.-n  on  tie'  one  lian.l  an.l  the 
'"'■-like  tiirr.'ts  of  th.'  .Milan  cath.-dral  on  the  oth.'r. 

In  that  sylvan  refuge  the  young  arbit.'r  of  nations  .■ath- 
"■'■'I  ;d'(.ut  him  the  famiii.'s  of  his  military  an.l  .'ivil  of(i.-ers 
;|' ■!  thith.'r  the  envoys  of  suppliant  .states  foll.iw-'.l  him! 
1  i"i'<',  too,  with  a  Corsi.'a.i  loyalty  to  th,'  ti.'s  of  bh.o.l.  he 
asscmbh'.l  nmst  of  his  family  an.l  was  r.'unit.'.l  with  th.'ni  for 
tile  hrst  tin,.'  since  the  flight  of  th.'  i^.onapart.'S  from  Corsi.-a 
-^   l.irtures.iue  guard  of  ;J00  I'olish  soldiers  was  .stationed 


68 


IN  TIIK  FOOTSTEPS  OK  NAPOLEON 


ill  till'  park  anil  tlio  l)aii(l  of  tlic  (iiiidcs  played  for  diniiir, 
wlirrt'  like  a  liourlion  moiuircii,  apart  from  iiis  i-ourticrs,  Na- 
poleon ato,  wliilf  a  niol)  of  privileged  persons  stood  and 
watelird  tile  ea'^le  fi'ed,  liieir  aweil  u'a/.e  diseoiicertiiig  him 
no  more  tlian  if  lie  had  been  liorn  and  bred  at  N'ersailles. 

As  the  company  sipped  its  after-dinner  eoft"<i-'  on  the  ter- 
raee,  Mine,  i^eopold  Herthier,  wife  of  the  yonii^'er  brother  of 
the  chief  of  staff.  saiiL;-  in  the  drawinir  room,  or  there  floated 
out  the  deeper-toned  melody  of  General  Kilmaine,  the  bravi- 
Diii)lin  man  and  vete/aii  of  the  American  Revolution,  who 
delieiited  in  sin^inj;  the  airs  of  Erin.  Another  man  of  Irish 
blood  but  of  French  birth,  (ieneral  Clarke,  was  the  favourite 
story  teller  of  the  terrace. 

Put  wiien  till'  circle  had  gone  indoors  and  left  the  outer 
air  to  the  fireflies,  Napoleon  himself  sometimes  practised  his 
ilramatie  ;jifts.  As  he  enacted  a  Corsican  ghost  story,  with 
only  a  candle  or  two  to  light  up  his  face,  the  women  rewarded 
his  etl'orts  with  screams  of  horror. 

The  court  of  Moutebello  were  a  merry  lot,  hardly  more  than 
bovs  and  girls  and  giddy  with  theii"  sudden  rise  from  poverty 
and  obscurity.  If  they  coidd  have  foretold  the  strange  for- 
tunes that  awaited  them,  if  they  had  projihetically  anticipated 
the  future  by  ten  years  and  hailed  one  another  as  emperor  and 
empress,  kings  and  queens,  ])rinces  and  princesses,  dukes  and 
duchesses,  counts  and  countesses  they  would  have  .seemed  more 
mad  tiian  their  |)reseut  unfoi'tunate  successors,  the  insane  in- 
mates of  .Montebello. 

Napoleon  had  taken  care  to  share  his  prosperity  with  his 
family  at  each  upward  step  in  his  swiftly  chanL,ing  fortunes. 
Nearly  all  the  $10,000  that  the  Directory  voted  him  for  put- 
ting; down  the  revolt  in  the  streets  of  Paris  went  at  once  to 
his  impoverished  mother,  who  had  seen  with  di.smay  her 
daiigliters  growing  up  wild  and  neglected  in  patched  shoes 
ami  clothes,  robbing  orchards  like  tomboys  and  flirting  with 
gallant  Frenchmen  in  the  streets  of  Mai'seilles. 

With  their  ehanuing  lot  in  life  the  Ponapartes  changed 
their  names.  droi)piim-  their  Corsican  nomenclature  for  more 
French-sounding  preiioineu.     The  mother,  Letizia,  was  Latin- 


XATIOXS  AT  TIIK   FKKT  OK  A    VOITH 


Olt 


i/.mI  into  L.titK,.  (;uis.srppi   h,.-.un.  .losrph;   Lurun,,,  iHT.mo 

-iiri.;n.  ;,ltl,ou^^h  tor  a  whil..  |„.  a.loptrd  tli.  uaiii.-  of  Brutus- 
l.iiitri  was  iiiadf  over  into  Loni^,  ' 

111  ii.T  <l.-voutii..ss  LMitia  had  .■hristmrd  all  the  .'iris  for 
111,.  \  u-ui,  hut  now  Maria  Annnn/iata  was  transformed  into 
""■ohms  Maria  Anna  into  Klisa.  and  Maria  I'aol.tta  into 
l.n'linc.  Napoh-on  dis!ikr<l  his  own  name  as  too  for,.i..n  in 
I  ranc..  hut  tain.'  overtook  it  and  -lorilied  it  b.d'on-  lie  ,ould 
'•.■|ari,-r  It.  He  dropped  the  u  Iron,  l5uonapart,.,  however 
^^li'H  lie  took  eouuiuiiid  of  til..  Army  of  Italv.  and  (ialliri/ed 
!'i''  pronunciation  \yy  sihwieiiiL;-  tlie  (inal  e. 

Napoleon  at  twenty-six  and  tweniy-sevii  not  onlv  found 
iMiiiselt  with  a  court,  hut  in  the  full  exer.-ise  of  nearh-  all  the 
iMnver.s  ot  an  absolute  sovereJLin.  I'lHler  his  multitude  of 
'■■■ires,  he  sent  for  Hourricnuc,  his  old  schoolmate  of  P.rieiinc 
■■nd  companion  of  his  poverty  in  Paris.  The  new  sc-rctarv 
"■■■Md  his  desk  l)une<i  in  Ueulccte.l  letters,  hut  .Xapoleon  told 
'^||n  to  open  only  tho.se  that  came  by  special  couriers  and  pit.d. 

■'II  the  rest  in  a  basket  forth, weeks.      It  was  discovered  then 

'liat  time  had  an.swered  four-fifths  of  them,  and  the  inventor 
"I  tins  labour-savin-  drvi.-e  lan-hed  heartilv  over  its  su.-cess 

A  man  must  be  more  than  warrior  to  win  the  hi-hest  fame 
1  li.'  suord  was  but  a  sinf,de  tool  in  the  kit  of  Alexander  and 
•  .'sar,  Charlenumne  and  Xapoleon. 

The  combination  is  always  and  ("Verywhere  irresistible 
Happily  the  American  Revolution  found  it  in  Wasldn-ton 
'''"I  liapp.ly  the  American  Civil  War  ,lid  not  find  it  in'auv 
01  Its  ^'enerals. 

As  soon  as  Xapoleon  arrived  in  Italy  he  proceeded  to  a^-t 
a^  soldier,  diplomat  and  law  oiyer.  1!,-  found  nearlv  '^0 - 
'""MKIO  Italians  separated  into  a  dozen  nationalities,  and  half 
';'  them  under  alien  con.|m.rors.  J'atriotism  was  onlv  a 
'i''am.  and  the  dreamers  were  in  prison  or  exile.  Xar^oleon 
."■'Hised  this  Ion-:  repres.sed  pas.sion,  and  with  a  lar-e  and 
-Mero,,,  vision,  disn-anlin,-  and  .lefyin^r  his  <;overnment.  he 
■anl  the  corner  stone  of  unite.l  Italy.  In  one  short,  crowded 
>'"'•  the  peninsula  was  revoluti.»ni.sed  an.l  repuhlicanised 
"""  the  summit  of  the  Alps  to  the  summit  of  the  Apennines 


ro 


IX  Till-:   KOOTSTKI'S  ol''  XAi'ol.KoX 


with  only  till'  Idirjilnin  of  Sirdiiiia  iiiid  the  dii'-liy  of  I'iirnia 
staiiiliii'j  as  till-  spai'i-il  iiuiiiniiH'iitN  of  tlir  old  ordrf  of  tliinizs. 

l-]vcry\\  lid'r  \a|i(>lcoii  was  tlu'  l{i'|iulilir.  lie  ronvokrij 
till'  Italians  in  a  'jrrat  assnnlilv  for  tln'  first  time.  Ilr 
hroii'jlit  till'  lii'st  minds  and  s|)n'its  of  Italy  into  tlir  '^ovrrn- 
riicnt.  I'fcallinj,'  many  rxili's  to  sliarr  in  tin-  iiiihiiildin^'  of  a 
nation,  the  ('isal|uni'  Ki'piililic.  I'.ut  lif  himself  was  the  law- 
^ivi'i-,  and  constitutions  wrr-i'  draftnl   imdfi'  his  eyes. 

In  all  ids  imlliii'^  dowti  of  thronrs.  tlnTf  was  one  that  tlir 
yonni^'  i-onipi.Tor  shrank  fi'om  layinu'  iiands  on,  tiic  vcncrahli' 
throne  of  I'etei-.  He  in\aded  and  dismeiidiei'ed  the  Papal 
States,  lint,  althoii'^h  eontiniially  iiriied  liy  the  Direetors  tn 
Seize  Rome,  he  spai'ed  the  etei-nal  city  and  seriipidously  re- 
frained fi-om  step|)inu-  foot  in  it. 

Xo  siu-li  eompiinetion  as  the  Holy  See  iiispii'ed  in  ]nm.  re- 
strained him  in  dealini:  with  X'eniee,  wliieli,  notwithstand- 
ing' the  virtuons  optei'y  of  many  lii>toi'ians,  was  jteriiaps  the 
least  desei'vinjr  state  in  all  Italy.  The  Venetian  tei'i'itory  lay 
between  the  Freneli  and  the  Anstrian  frontier,  and  its  rulers 
did  not  snffieiently  eoneeal  their  hostility  to   Fi'anee. 

At  last,  while  Xapoleon  wjis  away  on  his  eampai^'n  in  Aus- 
tria, a  bloody  massacre  of  the  French,  which  did  not  Kiniri' 
even  the  sick  in  tiie  hospitals  of  N'ei'ona,  took  place  on  N'eiic- 
tiaii  teri'itory,  and  the  fate  of  Venice  was  sealed.  ''I  will 
be  an  Attila  U)  you,'"  he  stormed  at  the  Doe-f;  "the  li;n  of 
St.  .Mark  nnist  bite  the  dust."  Thus  a  despotism  of  a  thou- 
sand yeai's  fell  with  as  sudden  a  crash  as  we  have  soen  its 
Campanile   fall  in  our  day. 

.\s  Xai)oleon  stiri-ed  the  emotions  of  the  Italians  with  liopi  s 
of  national  independence,  he  lired  his  army  of  French  re- 
])ul)licans  with  the  zeal  of  lih-rators  and  made  them  "play 
and  lau'jh  with  death."  as  lie  said,  while  they  marched  ami 
battled  fill-  the  liberation  of  mi-n.  It  is  true  he  no  loiiL:er 
shai-ed  i.is  soldiei's"  simple  faith  in  the  Ke|)ul)lic.  He  liaii 
been  behind  the  scenes  in  Paris  and  the  illusions  of  his  youth 
were  Lioiie.  The  niuhlmare  of  the  KeiLiii  of  Terror  had  re- 
placed the  beautiful  di'eams  of  his  barrack  days  and  a  \svn- 
eroiis  faith  in  humanity  had  wilheretl  into  a  bitter  cvuieisui. 


NATIOXS  AT  TlIK   I'KKT  ()K  A    VolTlI  71 

Aliva.ly  i„.  I,;„|  ,„;„|,.  ,|„.  ,■,„„,  ,„i„,,|.,.  ,,,.  ,^^^  ,,„,,,,,_,„. 
':"'  ';"^'"'\""  '■'"•  ni.mkin.i  ih.  plotting  |,ol,ti,-i;,n.s  „f  ,1„. 
'•'•'■';•••'  '-"P'tal.      ••What  an  i,l..a,"  !„■  ..x,-|.„n..,l.  •"a   ,vpuM,r 

";    ■'"••""••"""    "•     '-■.■    tl„.    K,vn,.h    ,„.o,,|,.   .    n,Ul!.  ',;;,i 

'"■>■  ■■"•'•  safsli,.,!.-  II,.  h,|,l  no  l,i.l„.,.  opiinon.  ol  th. 
I'^ilians:  ••(,oo.|  CmI!  TIut..  arc  ],s.()I)0.(Hmi  p,.,,,,!,.  i,,  Ifilv 
-n.l  u-,tli  .iifficulty  1   iMv,.  f,.iui,|  nrilv  two  uhmi  •• 

It.  ho\v,.v,.r,  Ills  r.-puhliranism  uas  n,.w  onlv  a  v^U'iu-r 
hr  wasst.l  as  true  as  any  man  in  tli.  rank,  to  wl.at  li/r,-' 
LMr.l,.,!  as  thr  -r..a1.  ori-inal  nurpus,.  ..f  tl,.  l.-rvolut ion  II,. 
I'^i'l  no  use  lor  tlH.  Hourhons.  II,.  u,s  int,.ns..|v  lovai  to  th- 
M.u-  I-ranee.  Other  eomnian,i,.rs  of  the  arnih's  of  ,h,.  K,- 
P.iMi"  ha.l  .sohi  out.     Hut  iiis  swonl  was  without  pri.r 

-Naples  au,l  \  ,.n,ee.  AusTia  an,l  the  I5ourl.ons  otr,.r..,i  hin, 
>■';•'  i-nhes  lu  ,-ash  an.l  honours.  Mon-y  nev..r  is  tl.-  t-.npt.r 
-1  th,.  Alexanders  an.l  the  Ca.sars.  th,.  (■haH,.,Maun..s  an,l  ti„. 
N^U'oleons.  It  eannot  huy  what  th.y  want.  ( In.at  an,hi,ioMs 
-n  1K.V0  no  alloy  of  avariee.  The  ea,!..  ,.annot  soar  w„h 
l';i^^  ot   "Old  tied  to  Its  fe,.t. 

Napoleon  appears  to  hav,.  kept  his  hands  ,.l..an  whil,.  th,- 

-.vniost   savants   ot    France   were   .joyin.   n>   the   rohin-rv   of 

I-   .allenes    ami    h.-r   naturalists  rava.vd   the   .ard,.,.  "an,! 

>:ms,.un.s  ot   Italy.     The  Romans  n-v.-r  exulted  nu.n-  proudiv 

''••   l'»i"il.v  at   the   triumph   of   a   r.-turnin,^  .-o  ' 


'MMol    ^^uh   h,s   lon^.   pro,.,.,s.s,on   of   luunan   s,,o,ls   than   th,. 
•n  Mans  as    h,^y  wateh..d  the  para.l..  of  ..arts  pil,.,l  hi^h  with 
'I";   oote<I  art  ot  Italy  on  its  way  to  the  Louvre 

h.   .■omn...  of    Raphaels   Translh^uration.   of   th.-   Apollo 

.;|     d.-nsotthe      apUoline(;ia.lu.tor.oftheLaoeoon.o     tl^^^ 
nu /e  hors,.s  ot   N  .■n,ee  ami  the  win.,..Ilio„  of  St.  .Mark    of 

';  -  mnortal  ereat.ons  .,f  T:tKu,,  Corre^gio  an,l  the  r,  s,  ..f  ,h,. 
;i    ".asters   syndu.hs,.,!    to    th.-    popular    in.a.mation    b..tt..r 
•niy  other  trophi,.s  the  tlatteri,,.,  thoudit  that   Paris  was 

eur  that  was  liome. 


HKin  ; 
inistrt 
'-;i"ui( 


Napoleon -s  final  achievement    in    Italy   was  ,„,.  n,-.otiat>on 
'■   •;  t..Mt>    ot    p,.aee  with   Austria,  a    (.ouvr  that    had   n-h-nt- 


>^ly  fouirht   th,'  Reoiihll,.   r..,,,.,   ;♦,. 


il.-i     wuih     Ml' 


IN   Till':   l-'()(»TSTi;i'S  (>!•'   XAI'OLKOX 


(•()llli(lr||tl\-     in;itc|icil      hiliisrir     ;||( 


lie   a^'.iiiist    Count    ('oltciit/l. 


oiif   ol    till'    most    rrnoui:r(i    diplomats    of    Miifopc,   sujiportcd 
In-  a  tlistiiiL:iiislic(|  stall'  of  Aii>triaii  fxprrts. 

•  ioui'.'-  with  .fos-pliiiic  inio  the  l''fiuli  above  Vfiii.'c,  in  Octo- 
lirr  ]7:»7,  thfv  si'tthil  (lowii  at  I'a  >sm'iano,  iti  tlic  coiititry  villa 
ol'  the  owi-tlii'own  Do-r  of  N'rnir...  uiiilr  the  Austrian  iicuo- 
tiatoi's  cstalilislii',!  tlirmsrh,  s  in  thf  nri^r||lH)in'iri<,'  town  of 
'  '''"'••  'I'lr  veteran  ami  .ininent  diploiiiat  met  the  youriL' 
.sohiiei'  with  an  easy  air  of  familiar  hadinau'e,  iiut  Xapoh'on 
with  one  look  established  their  relations  on  a  dilVerent  basis. 
Then  the  <,Mme  lienan. 

History  has  a  startling-  pietui'e  of  liim  seizinii'  from  a  tabh' 
in  Count  Cobentzl's  (piarters  a  rare  and  (-ostly  vase  which 
Catherine  of  Ku.s.sia  had  -iven  to  the  Count,  and  lil'tinj:  it 
above  his  face  eoinulsed  with  rau'e  dashiiiLT  it  in  a  Inmdred 
pieces  on  the  lloor  as  he  roared:  "Se,'.'  So  will  I  smash 
your  monarchy  before  anoth.-r  month  lias  passetl."  It  is 
true  that  after  a  wild  scene  of  some  kind,  he  rushed  out  of 
the  room,  loudly  shoutini:-  to  his  staff  to  notify  the  Archduke 
Charles  that  hostilities  woidd  be  r.-opened  in  twenty-four 
hoiu's.  lint  the  Austrians  hun-ieil  after  him  and  laiddown 
their  hand  to  the  wiiuier  in  the  -reat  poker  game  which  both 
sides  hiad   been    playin<j:. 

As  a  consolation  for  her  loss  of  Melprium  and  Lombardy. 
Austria  accejited  \'enice  and  nmst  of  \'.'netia.  inclndin<r  the 
Trentino  and  the  Dalmatian  coast,  which  never  had  bolo^nged 
to  h.'r  and  which  fcu'in  the  "Italia  irridenta,"  the  unre- 
deoued  Italy  for  wlii.-h  Italians  have  siirhed  .so  long.  The 
nistrument  was  sinn,.,!  .,t  I'assoriano,  but  it  was  christened 
the  Treaty  of  Camjio  P\)rniio  for  a  little  village  on  the  neu- 
tral -round  lying  between  the  houses  of  the  two  parties  to 
the  compact. 

The  jM'ople  of  France  welcor.ed  the  end  of  the  more  than 
live  yeai's'  war  with  Austria,  and  the  IVaee  of  Campo 
Foriuio  was  hailed  as  the  ci'owning  victoi'y  of  the  Arinv  of 
Italy,  whose  tla-  bore  the  boast  of  l.')(),()()()  prisoners  and"  610 
pieces  of  ar'dlery  captured  in  eighteen  pitched  battles  and 
in  three  times  a-;  many  minor  engagements. 


— -  — f-  ^ 


Till-;   I)i;S(|.;\T   r|.,,x    i.;,;y7.-,. 

17'J7-I7l),s      AUK   i;,-i 

RKTCRXIX.;    to    I'aris    .f,.,.    an    ahs,.,,,-,.    of    tw.nty 

;--y    an.i    o,.t    at    ,l„.    .,l.ows.     (,nlv    tluH,..,.    v.a  , 

;;    >.™;w^^  It 

"'^    f'   '    .yns  s,n,-,.  !„.  ha.i   ...n,,.  as  a   .-ashi,,,.,!   |i,,,t..nant 
;;  '-^  '--k  Ins  pa.,  in  th.  anny.  an,l  it  .as  ..nlv  tw  ! 

.         stt        ^7.'"^';""'*"   ^'"^•'"    ^'"'   •">'■!'"'    lips  of  the 
>   ;'-s  tl  ..y  a.H.Iann.,1   ium  tlu-  .i.Hvnv,.  of  i-'ra„J  an,l  th. 
1  "■■«•"'•  o     Knropc,  an.i  his  n,on.st  hon..vnioon  st.v.t  Js       ' 
'l"i^t.n..,l  tl,..  K„,-  d,.  la  Virtoin. 

^  H- applause  of  Paris  distnrl.d  him  mo.v  ,|.nn,.r  n.d^^^^^ 
;:,   u-]a,sol   Ins  povrty  and  ohs..„Hty.     "Hah  !-  h.  said 

IIhm'  people  wouhl  crowd  to  see  me  jnst  as  hard  if  I  were 
""  my  way  to  tlie  f^'uillotine."  ''  ' 

While  the  Kepnhlie  now  had  conr,u,.red   peace  throu..hont 

■   at   Hr    a.n,  and   the  Hrit.sh   navy  continued   to  shut   the 
0     V  i^  I^n"'  """'"'  7"""''   '•""•""■'•'■"■     ''''^'^   ^^--to!. 

in  ^^^"'";»>^'  rc">«'""^I  "'-stress  of  the  seas,  thev  were 

"'  .  >   .•ommandu,,.  hnn  to  n.ake  l,rieks  without  straw-aud 


I\'  TIIK  F(M»TSTi:rs  OF  .\.\I'(»IJ:(».\ 


As  111'  li;i(i  rmiiiil  TiHildii  at  l.aSi'yjii'  and  as  \\r  hail  I'ouikI 
\  ii  una  at  .Mantua,  lie  said  now  tiiat  Lundun  was  nut  in  Kw^ 
I'liid  liiit  ill  India.  IJatlar  than  t  rv  tn  cross  the  twcnt  vdivr 
nnh  s  n\  (■li.inn.j  ir-nwdrd  with  I'.ntish  vai'ships.  \\,-  pnd'iTrcd 
t<»  takr  his  clianris  of  dod-iiiL'  tlir  mmiv  in  a  s.iij  of  lino 
inihs  tln'oULih  the  .MrditciTaiiran.  Instead  ot'  a  hcadhuiL; 
liin-c  at  I'in-land.  lie  rhusc  to  ■'take  hci'  in  tlir  iTar-."  Ii\- 
landiiiL:  an  anny  in  lvj\|il,  niaivhine  aci'oss  Asia  and  seizing' 
the  iJfitish  possi'ssions  in  India,  which  the  |>'feneh  iniaL'iiied 
were  the  tiiic  soui'cc  ot'  I'.fitain's  wealth  and  powei-. 

Still  slyli'ie-  liiniseir  tlie  ( '(imniandei'-in-ehiid'  of  the  Army 
of  Kn-rland.  aithon-h  it  had  iieen  |irivatel_\-  ivdn'istencd  the 
Army  of  the  (»i-ient,  he  hastily  asseuililed  his  iiiilitafy  luiil 
naval  focees  and  a  'jreat  fleet  of  transjiorfs  in  tin'  .Mediter- 
i'ii'i'''i"  id  Tonhm.  While  he  advertised  it  as  an  expedition 
a-aiiist    the    I'.i'iii^h,    he    kept    its   direction   and    destination   a 

close    secret    aiMone    a     \e|'\     few. 

.Nearly  all  the  ships  of  tlie  I'.i'itish  na\y  were  'juarditiL:'  the 
Knulish  coast  and  hloi-kadiiiu  the  northern  ports  of  l-'rance. 
There  was  not  a  warship  of  that  power  left  in  the  .Mediter- 
ranean until  .Xelson  arrived  off  Toidon  two  day.s  before  the 
sailiii-  time  of  the  l-'rem-h  fleet.  Imt—and  this  is  only  the 
lii'st  line  in  a  chapter  of  unfortunate  accidents  that  were  to 
befall  him    -be  was  blown  away  in  a  stoi'in. 

.Xotwithstandinj,'  the  secrecy  in  whicdi  \ai>oleon  liad  en- 
\-eloMed  his  I'ui'jiose.  all  adventui-ous  spirits  wei'f  eauer 
blindly  to  follow  his  star.  Kvery  bi'iu'lit  and  sbininu'  laiice 
in  the  army  was  pi'otVeivd  him.  He  -atheivd  besides  a  wliole 
I'cuiment  of  eeoui'apbers  and  ueoim'ti'iciaiis,  a.stronoiiu'r.s  and 
chemists,  nniiei'alouists  and  ucolojiists.  Itotanists  and  zoolo- 
'jists,  lineiiists  and  oi'ientalists.  ai'ehitect.s  and  draftsineu, 
ai'toi-s  and  sin<:crs,  jjoets  and  chroniclers. 

For  the  third  time  in  a  little  niori'  tlian  four  yoars.  Napo- 
leon thus  found  hims.'lf  in  Toulon:  in  the  earliest  instance 
as  a  penniless  exile  IVoiii  Cor.sica.  then  as  an  artillery  cap- 
tain at  the  sic'je  of  the  town,  and  now  as  the  ( .'eueral-in-chicf 
of  the  lirst  militaiy  exiictlition  the  west  had  ventured  against 
the  ea:,t   in  the  .'lOO  yeais  sine  the   failure  of  Uie  Crusades. 


TIIK   DKSCKXT  ri'ox  1:(,v|'T  -- 

A^  sh,.  p.sv.l  o,H  M,,o  ,1,..  ,Mvat  lurhnur  iH.  .s,on,|  on  W...k  u      . 

'"t  s   Imus,,   ,,„n   ...,ntinn,.,|    tn   u.v..   ;,    nnvuvll.  Lt    „  , 

':-''-    also  to, 1,,.  „,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,i^^,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^o 

;:r:V^'''' •'■''■-'' '''■'•'-■•-'> i^'- s.,.,  : : 


iiiisiiaiKl. 
"I"    "I'    Toulon    stivanir,!    tli, 


iiiiulity    ai'inada    of    Fraiicr 


\\i,,.„    i,    ,,..,      ■    ■       ,    ,  -'"■'    ""ii.i'ia    01     I-  raiicc. 

"'     n^Mt....._M.v,.n,y-two  c.orv..t,,.s  an,l  n.arlv    |(),)  transport 
--Is.  -•..■ry.n..  :j.,,<,„o  troops  of  th.  K.puhii...  uho  no  ,n     , 

-i-n.dn,,lu..,.k..ortl..irhoatsonth,.l.osomor,lH.    va 

Nph.dou-ofdo,d.tc..oss,.,ltlu.nnn.iort!..ir,i,,r^^ 
'  '"'■»  as  In.  stro.]..  tlH.  rpuitt.r  .l.rk  of  L'Ori,  nt       At  1  ,. 

'-p,.yand      a.sar,  th.l'lunu.ians,  tlu.  .;r.vks.  tl,       'a      n 

;';;■'''<'''  ^'-'-  '•'-lu.s.s  of  tl,..  ..arth,  an.l   IV,..  an  ,  , 

-H- .onMU,.sts  of  tlH.  sonl.     It  was  th.  tl„.atr..  of  tl' .\ 
"I    li.-  1  it.ns,  wlu.n.  Jupit.r  won  th.  sovn-i^ntv  of  tia   world 

i-i  on  unis.,|.   (  lysscs  wandered  and  .Kn^as  vova-ed 
'•or  on   the  .Mediterranean,  nmholo.y  and   Instorv'are  as 
.■  and  tahies  are  taets  and  faets  are  fables.     Tl,..  .ods  a!^ 
,.,l'      .:"  ""■"•""/'    JI«^'""i-and   IIern,iotns.    Vir.il  and   I'lu- 


'•"■'■li  ;ire  ecpially  historians. 


j    li.s  a^e  01  steam  and  the  wireless  Napoleon 's  expedition 

sa,  u>d  no  eleuraph  ,t  was  only  hy  the  ,nost  ineredible 
-  1  ek  that  he  an.l  Ins  bi,.  fleet  floated  safelv  over  the 
•^''■'■^'•'•'■anean  for  six  weeks  whh  the  greatest  of  B.itis,,. 


i.\  Tin;  i'()()TSTi:i's  ok  .\ai'<>i.i:().\ 


ors  Pluisilli,'  li;iik  .iii'l  t'ultll  ,'ilhl  rilllSIlckillL'  tllc  m  :i  to  liiiii 
llilri. 

l''()rtUII.'trly  fuf  him  llh'  r|ir||l\-  cliil  lint  klKlW  ulliTr  llr  Wits 
'_'(lill'_'  (ir  wllilt  (•(illlsr  \\r  u;isi  I.iklll'.'.  Wlllli'  .\c|sn||  \VilS  flj'- 
lll'j'   ll[)  .'iIkI   ilcuii    tlir    i;ill'(i|ir;ili   cujisf,  Oil    till'  ilsstllM  [it  ioM   tll;it 

flic  l-'r.iirli  uri'.'  IhM'hcl  lur  Xjipii's  or  Sii'il;-.  \ii|iolr()ii  wns 
strti'iii'j'  towiiiil  ihi'  A  I  liciii  shut''',  passiiur  oiitsiiji'  of  Corsioa, 
Sariiniia  ;iiiil  Sicily  :itMi  iii;ikiiiL'  I'nr  .M;ilt;i,  uhns.-  (iiitlvirm 
isl;iii(l  <if  (iii/.o  rosi-  t(i  \ir\v  altr?'  a  sail  ol'  nearly  tlircc  weeks. 

Ill  till'  dusk  of  a  .hiiif  (■\(iiiii-  tin-  rrriicli  licet  eamc  to 
aiH'hoi'  witiiiii  a  '_Miii.sliiit  nl'  the  <^M'eat  'ji-ev  licaji  ot'  iiiasoiirv 
which  the  Kiiitrhls  ui'  St.  .Iiihii  hail  |iil<  i|  iip  I'm-  the  (ietViU'c  of 
Malta  a-aiiist  the  Turk.  These  last  ii\'  tiie  Cnisaiiers,  after 
liaviii',:  111  ell  ili'i\en  rrmn  .jeriisale'ii  to  t.ie  I'uck  of  Aen-  ainl 
from  AeiT  to  the  Islainl  of  lilimles.  iiad  I'oiind  refiit,"'  from 
the  Sai'aeeiis  hciiind  the  hastiuiis  of  this  liari'cii  island. 

from  the  lialthiiieiits  of  St.  fijmo  the  eijiit-poiiited  rross 
had  waved  deliam  e  to  the  crescent  in  stnhhoni  and  disas- 
trous slc'jes.  ChalleiiLred  now  hy  a  nation  of  the  west,  wliidi 
had  toi-ii  douii  the  criicili.x  from  its  ehnrejics  and  did  nut 
hold  itself  hohiid  !)>■  the  a'jr'eenients  of  Cliristendoni  to  re- 
spect this  outpost  of  the  Christian  world,  flio-sc  soldiers  of 
the  .Maltese  cross,  who  had  followed  it  for  iieai'ly  MM)  veai's, 
fiii'leij  tlieir  h, inner  hefni'e  Napoleon  and  u'ave  him  the  kevs 
of   Malta. 

As  Napoleon  sailed  on  from  Malta  ;iud  entered  the  Ionian 
Sea,  .Ncjsuii  raced  in  on  the  more  noi-therly  course.  Both 
Were  now   hcadin<r  strai-ht    foi-  Alexandria,   for  the  Adiiiii'al 

fit  liist  had  suspected  that  thi'  I'T'elieh  Wel'e  l'o'hil:'  to  KiiApt. 
One  d;iy  there  was  nothinir  hut  the  hori/on  and  sixty  mihs 
of  water  hetwceii  tliciii.  That  ni'.^ht,  indeed  under  a  momi- 
les.s  sky,  Ndson  pmliahly  ran  ihioueh  the  fie,  t  without  sccin_' 
it.  \Vitli  the  impetuosity  of  despair,  the  iSriton  flew  on  tlic 
wind  so  f;ist  that  he  sailed  past  the  huje.  sIoW'joiiiLr  ai'mada 
iind  hauled  u|i  at  Alexandria.  Next  he  I'aced  otV  toward  the 
Svrian  coast  on  his  wild  hunt. 

As  the  I'-nulisli  Ailmir.-il  had  heen  forty-cieiit  hours  toe 
oai'Iy  for  .Napoleon  at  Toulon,  he  wji.s  auaiii  rortv-eiuht  lioui-s 


nil;  i)i;sci:\T  ii'mv  |.;,.^ 


77 


l-'v.-h  to  fro  away,   huf    Xapol..,,,,   ,1„|    ,,,,1    ...,      I.',,.,   i...       ' 
;."""'   I'ort   ..riKsa.ni.nion.   uiHun   ,•.    iVu    ,,ulU   nf  ,1...  T 

I]'"'  kv  tlu-   low  ..,vs.Ti>t...l  siH.r,.,  wlHT..  ,,t    ,\l,.s;m,l.,--s  hni 
''"'-„"  ;"'•':'"; '"   ."i'.^-   '•"-  t"  '-  th,.  tn.-,su,v  l.oMs..  .,r  Ins 

-•Ml    ot     lu.s,.,     ,H-lMnMn,.,n,   h.nk  at  tl,.  ,.o:n,nan,|  of  an 
x-si     -.    tl,,.     h,.„.    .,•    A,.,,,,„,,ia.      „,.    ,,,,,„,,,,.,    ,,,    ^, 

n>tl..on.ith..  town,  wl,,.,v  th..  san.l.  ol-fh..  lal.van   ])..,  rt 
oil  clou  n   to,,. ...a.     Tlnr..   i,,  th.  ni.M.  .|..spi,.:  wind  an 
"•••"•''■••  ■""'  "'<•  ••a..tion  or  the  naval  .unu.an.  1,.    i„.  a, 

't:;TT:''''"''''''r''''''''' i..m.-.  in,;:  u,;: 

Tlr.  Hrs,  ,ln„,  ,,^  H^ 

■.    id    ...sM,.aHnMu,o,-da,..pal„,san.lsl....pf^^^^ 

'        >in-.m.-   ot      h.   wav-s.      HHon-    ,iavl„vak    I,.-    was   at 

'  ■     ''lis  o,  .\l..xa.„l,-,a.  on  ,op  of  wl,i,.l,  ,1,..  townsp.opl..  I,a,i 

-Mh    swann...!    ,o   r-p-l    ,|„.    invaci..,-,   ..luHlv    wih     Xrahi,. 

|n.y,.rs  an.l    rurs.s.     Th..    Fn.nd..    how.v..r.  -.puckly  '      M 

tli- walls  and  ,ook  , lie  town.  '  ^  "^ 

F.n-nr'""'  r"  "'•'  '''■''  '"''^"  ''^^  '"^''•'''"  ^i"""*  to  SPP  tl,at 
hppt  was  the  t:r,ate.st  prize  the  swor.i  eouhl  win  ('u.sar 
■  i'-n.ler  and  the  aneient  eon,,uerors  had  n.u,.  it  the  k  '-' 
>'"ne  u,  ,he,r  areh  of  e<,n,n.est.     For  500  years  before  Xa'o 

i      "'/"rk,    UH    all  but  forgotten  by  Europe,  whieh  with 

I'      1.^  overy  o     the  Cape  of  (iood   Hope  was  no  Iou^.t  de. 

!"  I  l"'nt  upon  the  hun.plK.eke.l  ships  of  th,-  desert      For  five 

■;';Hn,^  a   twilight   rested   upon    ,he   lan.l   of  th,-   Pharaohs 

-'>  Mank  as  tie  era  of  the  I'yraniid  builders 
It  rei-iauied  for  the  stratoLMC  eve  of  Na>>o!..nn.  f^.  r^.v. ....... 


IN'  Till-:  FOOTSTKPS  OF  XAPOLEOX 


tliat  dusk  iin.l  to  set-  tliat  ELrypt  still  was  the  centre  of  the 
world.  Aud  when  lie  rapped  at  tlie  '_'ate  ot  Alexandria  li" 
startled  her  out  of  an  ai^c  loni:  .sleej).  (Jver  her  hoary  head 
the  eenturiv'S  l;ad  rolled  since  slie  drove  the  Crusaders  ^roiu 
her  shore  and,  lyiiiL'  down  to  rest  on  her  sandy  couch,  yielded 
h( 


i-self  to  the  dreams  of  the  Orient.     The  Christian 


(lotrs  h;i(l 


ijeeii  heaten  otl'  and  the  European  harharian  iiad  disappeaivd 
into  his  native  wilderness.  Eiiypt  thouuhl  no  more  about  hiia 
than  we  think  of  the  grasshoppers  when  they  are  ^one. 

When,  therefore,  the  lon^'duiired  boy  of  France  rudely 
vaded  her  sluml 


ui- 


le 


tion   which 


had 


she  knew  nothing'  of  the  (ireat  Kevolu- 
roused  the  sleepiiiL'  nations  of  Europe  and 
winch  at  last  was  biddini:  her  wake  auain.  E^^pt  hardly 
rememhered  there  was  a  France  aud  could  not  imai.'ine  what 


tl 


le 


reneh  couh 


1  want  of  her.     T- 


.ipoleon  s  command 


for 


her  to  ri.se,  therefore,  she  only  yawned  aud  beiz'.ed,  "  lMea.so 
^o  away  and  let  me  sleep." 

The  Alexandria  of  to-day  is  .',s  changed  from  the  .own  Al- 
exander built  and  Napoleon  eaptureil  as  anythimr  ean  be  in 
the  unchanjriuf;  land  of  E^'ypt.  Out  of  the  desert  of  water 
in  front  of  it  and  the  desert  of  sand  behind  it,  the  unnarets 
and  marts  of  a  modern  city  of  400,000  rise  on  the  shore 
where  Napoleon  found  only  a  sriualid  villaire  of  .'jOOO  people 
huddled  amid  tlu'  ruins  of  a  splendid  imperial  capital  whi 
before  the  opening'  of  the  Christian  Era  boasted  a  millinn 
inhahitants.     Those   ^iijures   retiect    the   vicissitudes   of   Alex- 


cll 


andria  in  a  period  o*'  more  than  200(1  years. 

I'ompey's  Pillar,  which  still  sprine-s  above  the  roofs  and 
towers,  is  the  one  landmark  that  has  survived  rnost  of  those 
centuries.  Put  the  famous  htdithouse  of  i'haros  no  lonuer 
casts  its  beams  on  a  wonderiiii;  wor 


Id  ;  instead,  a  useless 


fort 


cumbers  its  site.  Tlie  hill  which  rises  from  amon>r  the  wai\; 
houses  close  by  the  enstom  house  is  still  called  Fort  Napoleon, 
and  the  Oideutal  imaiiination  sometimes  insists  that  Napoleon 
built  it  in  a  uiulit.  Its  .sununit  is  now  ct'owned  by  the  siunial 
station  of  the  port,  set  in  the  midst  of  trees  and  llowers,  and 
with  its  pennants  of  many  colours  fluttering-  in  the  breeze  be- 
neath the   Sultan's  tlaii-.     What   really  uave  the  elevation   its 


Till':   DKSCEXT  I'POy   VA'A'VT 


79 


.,,,;ii,.  wiis  thr  fort  whicli  XaiHili'on  cstiililishcd  in  a  nifxlit.  It 
,,,,  ,,iit-i(l>'  till'  littli'  town  of  tliiit  <lay  ,iiul  .•oniiiiamicd  tho 
plai'c  as  It  now  connnands  an  rxiTlliMit  vifw  of  tin-  sea.  ^ 

From  anutli.T  mound  iirar  liy.  wlnTc  I'oiuprx 's  polishod 
-ii.iii  risfs  nrarly  seventy  feet  in  a  solid  coluniu  of  ivd 
Tanitt',  Napol.'on"  watclicd"  and  diivftcd  tin-  assault  upon  the 
unvA  wall  in  the  dawn  of  his  first  day  in  K-ypt.  He  proni- 
i.,  d  •  ,  inscrilu-  on  the  ])f(lfstal  of  the  pillar  the  names  of  those 
,.i:,i  frll  ill  the  attack,  i)ut  he  failed  to  do  it  and  the  poor 
uMiihs  of  Kranee  iniNsed  iiiiinortaiity.  However,  they  fared 
i„,  harder  than  tiie  man  to  wiiom  this  column  was  raised,  lie 
is  -lit  liy  lost  in  tlie  vulvar  iierd  of  eouiiuerors  and  his  pillar 
La,  lirrii  misnamed  for  I'ompey,  who  was  dead  hundretLs  of 
w.iis  hefore  it  was  sawed  out  of  the  quarry  at  Asso\iaii.  ^ 

Napoleon  uave  hardly  more  time  tlian  the  eonventional 
na\rll,i-  s|)ares  for  Alexandria.  -Most  of  his  army  did  not 
,',-11  srr  the  city,  Imt  were  marehed  around  it  toward  the 
Nile,  where  he  himself  hastened  to  overtake  them  in  their  ad- 

vaiiee  on  Cairo. 

While  the  tourist  to-day  is  eii.joyinL:'  as  eomfortahle  and 
iiitrivstiiei  a  train  ride  of  three  hours  and  a  (|uarter  over 
ti..  iL'!)  iiiiN's  of  rail  between  Alexandria  and  Cairo  as  lie 
rould  wish,  the  unehan-in-:-  landseai>e  of  Kuypt  jiasses  before 
liis  ear  window  like  a  reel  of  moving'  pictures  in  a  photo  play 
of  the  reii'ii  of  riiaraoh. 

For  time  has  altered  nothinu  in  all  the  200  oenoratious  and 
.:,(.iv  since  the  first  faint  li^dit  of  hi.story  twiid-ded  in  the 
Kuvptian  darkness.  The  same  patient  race  of  blue-skirted 
frliahin  are  still  seen,  scratehiiif:  with  their  wooden  plou^'iis  the 
icirrow  strip  of  rich  soil  between  the  two  deserts  that  lie  in 
lull  view  on  either  hand,  or  laboriously  turnin-.:-  the  ancient 
\x,,]ry  wheels.  Their  lives  and  ways  seem  to  be  no  more 
teiehed  by  pro'.nvss  than  are  those  of  the  heavily  Inirdeued 
siriii'js  of  camels  whirh  liumi)  alou^'. 

.Ml  that  count rysid(>  remains  as  desolate  to-day  as  before 
its  liclds  first  were  trleaned.  For  the  most  fruitful  soil  in 
ihe  world  is  ciir.sed  wit'.i  the  worst  land  laws  and  the  most  un- 
just system  of  taxation.     Nowiiere  else  is  nature  so  bountiful 


80 


I.N  TIIK   FOOTSTKI'S  i)V  NAI'OLEON 


iiiiii 


iiai'( 
thf  N 


II\-  Jirivwiicrf  I'lsi'  IS  man  so  iiu'iiii  as  oi.  t! 


l)aiik 


111' 


Xo  wonder  Napoleon's  20, (>(•()  .soldiers  as  1 


le  marchec 


1  tl 


lem 


tlirouir'i    that    inijioverislied    region    wiTe   exasperated   alniost 
to  tile  |)oint  of  mutiny.     Tlie\-  had  sailed  into  the  harlxjui 


Alexandria  with  their  mouths  wateriny;  for  the  fabled  flesli- 
pots  of  the  land  of  Kiiypt.  while  their  eommauder  had  confi- 
dently looked  tif  the  Kuyiitians  with  joyous  acclaim  to  wel- 
come him  as  theii'  delivei'iT  from  tyranny. 

Ala.s,  the  soldiei's  found  the  Hesh-pots  enii)ty  and  Xapoleon 
found  that  tlie  peopK'  piclVrred  their  old  \oke  to  a  new  one. 
[..iherty.  fraternity  and  eipiality.  the  mauic  wiiteliwords  of  the 
Freiu-h  Revolution  with  which  he  had  conquered  the  hearts 
of  the  Italian.s,  were  as  soundinu:  bi-ass  or  a  tinklint:  cymbal 
in  the  dull  ears  of  ilie  wretched  dwellers  in  the  delta. 

The  eoiintry  nominally  was  under  the  Sultan  of  Turkey 
but  the  m.ii'tial  .Mamelukes  really  ruled  it  in  that  day  as  the 
r>ritish  are  it.s  real  rulers  in  our  day.  After  Ion;:  a?es  of 
frrindini;'  despotism,  liope  was  dead  beyond  revival  in  the 
iii'easts  of  the  Kuyptians.  The  nii.serable  habitations  of  the 
people  only  mocked  the  hunjrer  of  the  fora>:in<r  soldiei-s  who 
found  nothiiiLi-  in  the  lean  larders  tit  for  the  F'rench  i)alate. 
To  set  an  example  of  self  denial  Xapoleon  himself  slept  with- 
out a  tent  in  the  midst  of  his  army  and  at  meal  time  limited 
his  fai-e  to  a  dish  of  lentils. 

Instead  of  living'  off  the  fat  of  this  land  for  wbicli  the 
children  of  Israel  siuhed  and  nuirmured  when  ibises  bad  ]v>\ 
them  out  of  Kuypt,  the  invading'  army  advanced  with  its 
supplies  jealously  izuarded  in  its  centre  tor  fear  of  losing 
even  wliat  it  had  bi-ouuht  from  home,  assailed  as  it  was  by 
^lamelukes  and  Bedouins,  who  forever  hovered  on  the  hori- 
zon. 

When  Xapoleon  left  Alexandria  he  said  that  St.  Louis,  the 
latest  French  commander  to  invade  Kuy|it,  took  four  montlis 
to  march  to  Cairo  bur  that  he  would  do  it  in  two  weeks.  In 
spite  of  all  tlie  !!ardshi[)s  that  prescnnd  tlK'Uiselve.s  be  kept 
the  schedule  to  the  hour.  The  morniiii:-  of  the  14tli  day  was 
just  breakinjr  over  the  Mokatfom  hills  when  tbi-ee  ereat  heaps 


THE  DESCENT  ll'OS  E(iYl'T 


81 


nt  y,  lou-  lu.u^tonos  ros..  to  vi.w  on  tli..  ..!.,.  of  th.  Lihvna 
.i.s,.rt  .ml  1...  f,ml  tho  Uunthv,  spirits  of  his  tirvd  .n.i  homo- 
M.k  soUu'Vs  ^v■tl.  ,l„.  nn.n.orahl,.  .vmin,!.,-  ti,at  fm.u  thos. 
i>nin,uis  ot  (..hizc.h   torty  ee.ituri.s  looked  down  m^oii  them 


riTAPTi:K'  XT 


TIIK  I'.ATTT.K  oF  TliK   I'VHAMIDS 

17;irt-lT9'.)      AGi;    Js-:;!) 

As  Napoleon  tnnrclKMl  to  tlic  roiuiucst  of  tlio  Eayptijin 
capital  ill  iiiiilMiiiiMifi'  of  IVDS.  tlic  streets  of  Cai'io 
t'csouiided  iiiLilit  and  day  witli  the  shrill  pipes  and  iiid- 
iiotonous  drum  beats  of  the  dervishes,  made  familiar  to  us  h> 
midway  imitations.  At  the  lirst  wai-nin^  of  the  enemy's  ad- 
vance the  ulema.  or  wise  men.  marshalled  the  children  in  loiitr 
prooossions.  and  led  thein  a^ain  and  aeain  throu'.di  the  nar- 
row, winding-  lanes  of  the  city,  their  younjr  voices  ehantiii<_f  an 
appeal  for  divine  ileliveranee  from  the  utd)elieviim-  liosts  of 
France. 

Xajioleon,  on  tlie  other  hand,  invoked  neither  Alhdi  iiiir 
Jehovah,  hut  the  spirit  of  tiie  aires,  when  he  reminded  I'.is 
troops  that  from  yonder  IVramids  the  centui'ies  looked  down 
ui)on  them.  What  a  wonderful  view  [loiiit  those  centr.rics 
enjoyed  ato|)  the  ureat  cairn  of  Cheops,  that  memorable  July 
morninj,'  in   the  year  ITftS,   what    well   chos.-n   reserved  .seats; 

'I'he  journey  out  from  Cairo  to  <duzeh  and  its  I'yrainids  is 
no  lontrer  made  l)y  ferry  down  the  Xile  and  thence  by  cann!- 
or  nude  as  in  other  days.  On  the  conti'ary.  it  is  only  ,: 
twenty-minute  spin  in  an  automobile  or  a  forty-minute  riil' 
in  the  company  of  slieeted  I';Lr>])tians  aboard  a  trolley  car, 
with  a  curtainiMJ  section  for  the  veiled,  dark-eyed  sorceressis 
of  tlu'  Xile.  Handsome  biide'e.s  arch  the  most  historic  oi 
rivers,  the  veritahh'  stream  of  time,  firs+  to  a  parklike  island, 
and  tlieii  to  the  farther  hank,  when'  the  town  of  (Jhizr;: 
sprawls  in  the  sun.  Heyond  (ihi/eh  a  broad,  almost  straiulit 
avenue,  live  milis  Innis.  with  the  trolley  tracks  rnnniiifr  I'c- 
neath  a  -uw  of  shady  lebbakh  trees,  stretches  across  a  plain. 

82 


'IIK   liATTU:  OF  Till-:   l'Vl^\.Mli)^ 


83 


hrrc 


littl 


irri^Mtinrr  rinilcts  run  nhoiit  to  rofrcsli  tlio  soil 


in   il>.   ii.\.r  fiidiiiir   ||;,,„i   ji)   i,.,,|,|   ;,tniu<rlc 


lts,.|f 


with   the  desert. 


IS    li<Mi;ip;ii'tiM,   ii;ivin-   I'eeii    i,ii,l   out    I)y   the 
loiioui'  jiiid  eonveiiieiice  for  the  Hiiipress  Ku- 


I  ):••    I'Dilil     ITsi 

Klirdi\  e  as  ail 

L'/iiie  at  the  time  s\u'  visite.l  K^rypf  to  open  the  Suei  raiial 
I'-nllah.s  are  hy  the  roadside  and  litth^  white  herons  are  tlv- 
ne.-  over  a  luud  villa-e  ot  tlie  reHaliin.  Hevon.l  tiiat  eluin,, 
"I  Inits.  file  IVraniids  lift  th-ir  hulk  above  1h.  hilhnvs  of  sand 
'■l'i''li  liiive  heaten  auain.st  their  fouiuhdions  nearlv  r.doo  years 
'Md  \vlii,-h  roll  upon  them  like  the  ..n-ulfin-  waves  of  the 
v  ;i.  Indeed  a  real  sea  wall  live  fe.'t  hie;li  is  ne-.'ssarv  for  the 
I'loteetion  ol  the  road  as  it  approaehes  its  .h.stinati.in  and  is 
■''  that  saves  It  trom  hein-  .suhmer-ed.  Its  last  section  is 
'  "  "lore  tlian  a  pier  or  diked  eauseway,  with  a  bi-  hotel  an«i 
i'^'-ty  narden  rLsiny  at  the  end  like  a  i.ier  head  out  of  an 
ei'iiii  ot  sand. 

There  still  remains  a  Ion?,  ste..p  elinil,  to  the  Pvramids  in 
■'  "■■ll'''l  'ind  paved  treneh  with  th..  hurnin-  sun  "above  ami 
'^-  iMirnm-  sand  ail  ai)out.  Hut  the  automobiles  and  trol- 
I' vs  stop  at  the  hotel  and  deliver  tlieir  passen-ers  over 
'"  'li"  M.ereies  of  the  desert  and  its  ehildren.  a  tribe  of  howl- 
in-  Aralis  with  a  herd  of  eaiiuds  and  donkevs. 

Tilt'    visitor    is    Weil    rewanied    for    his    nionu'iitarv    trials 

S'lrelv  (  heops  IS  the  most  wond,>rful  grandstand  froin  whieh 

I'   I'^l'tle  ever  was  se.-n  or  a   baltl.'field   reviewed.     Overlu'ad 

'"•'I'ls  the  splendid  blue  vaidt  of  the  Eirvptian  skv.     B.-hind 

■■'lis  the  tempestuous  desert.     Below  flows  the  Nile.     Bevond 

"  ••  ^'Y'^r.  the  domes  and  minarets  of  Cairo  ris..  toward  the 

-Hdlcss  h(  avens  in  white  and  gold  against  a  ba.'kuround  of 

'■"  .vllow   lulls.     These   stand   out   on    the  eastern   hori/on 

■■  videttes  -uardiug  the  preen  and  sl..nd,.r  vallev  from  the 

"'''•"inino;  sands  of    Arabia,    forever  strivin-   to    join    forees 

^vith  the  sands  of  Libya  and  bury  ■.  dley  and  eitv  and  river  in 

"'H'  vast  and  desolate  waste. 

Off  in  front  some  eiuht  miles  away  there  is  a  cluster  of  date 
p.  iiii>.  about  the  village  of  Kmbabeh  by  the  riverside.  At  the 
"1^0  ot  that  little  vro\e  thr  celebrated  Battle  of  the  Pvra- 
""'-1^  was  fouyht.     There  the  west  met  the  east  in  on,r.h.t  f.. 


S4 


IN  TIIH  FOOTSTKi'S  OF  XAT'OI.i-.oX 


the  first  till!''  ill  .'(Id  ynirs.  wlirii  tli.'   Miinirluki's  iiunlc  their 
mil'  ;iti(l  iiiiK-  stJMid  ;i'j;iiiisl  the  inl vaiiciiiL''  l'"rriirli. 


On    tliiit    phiiii    10.001)   turliMiK'd    horscinci 


I.     ciU 


h    moiinti 


man  witli  thrrc  or  four  foot 


iiini  to  serve  hiiii,  were  drawn  up 


to  ciiallenixe  Naiioleoii,  tlieii-  shirts  of  steel  and  tlieir  uay.  ori- 
ental aceoutreiiieiits  L:li.steninL;  in  the  sun.  IJeiiind  this  line 
of  lirilliant  cavalry  then'  wei-e  thousands  of  .janissaries,  while 
within  the  (artliwoi'ks  of  Knihaheh  there  wei'c  (gathered  more 
thousands  of  raw   eonseripts  with  many  cannon. 


lint 


.M, 


iiiii'lukcs  in  tlieii'  self-conlideiice  I't 


lied 


on 


th 


elll- 


selves  alone  to  si  nl 


liiiob 


down  and  trample  the   l""reneh   heiieath 
.Macaula\-   sa\s   that    their 


commander. 


their   hoi'scs' 

.Mourad  liey,  could  not  lielieve  tliat  his  little  aniajxonist  who 
rode  like  a  hutcher  was  the  Lzreatest  wai'rior  in  Ktirope,  while 
the  .Manielukcs  felt  notliiiii;-  hut  conteinpt  for  inl'antry.  A 
man  was  no  soldiei-  in  their  eyes  who  did  not  have  a  horse, 
and  they  lau'-;hed  as  they  saw  Xapohon's  troops  trottim: 
toward  them  like  dous. 

When  the  French  eamo  within  .strikiiur  di.stanco,  tlie  Maiiie- 
luke.s,  with  their  weird  war  ciw,  dashed  at  the  foot  soldiers  of 
France  to  tind  themselves  healinu'  auainst  solid  s(|uares  of  steel 
and  lire.  Dazed  at  first  and  then  eiiraued  they  rode  airuin 
and  a<'ain  to  the  slaiiLihter. 


l)Ut  when  thpy  saw  their  ar 


mv  I) 


rokeii  into  two  parts  am 


the  irresistible  French  squares  wed'^inu'  in  between,  they  fie 
in  mad  ininic.  One  division  galloped  over  \u  tlu'  Pyramids 
and  vanished  into  the  desert,  while  another  raced  into  tlu' 
villaj:e  of  Fmbabeh.  fi'om  beliiml  the  uims  of  which  tliev  sal- 
lied   forth    once    more    onlv    to    fall    before    tl 


le    unwav(n-uii: 


s(piares   like   uniss 


lefore   a   steam 


mowini;'    niaciiine. 


Those 
useless 


who  t^seajied  from  the  French  leaped  from  their 
horses  into  the  Nile,  alomr  with  a  mob  of  other  fuj,ntives. 
Most  of  them  swam  to  safety:  but  history  makes  the  ^'rew- 
some   i-ecord   that   after  the  victoi's   had    finished   rohbim;'  the 


neil 


thousands  of  dead  bod 

themselves  by  aiiiilinu'  lor  the  drow 

The  character  of  the  conflict  is  vstablislied  by  the  number  of 

French  killed,  which  was  ;{(). 


les  that  bestrew  the  plain  they  amused 
who  numbered  L'lOO. 


i 


^NS 

^ 


' 


_  £ 


TIIK   ISATTLK  OF  TllK    I'VKA.MIDS 


H7y 


Siioli  wns  the  liiittlc  of  the  rynirnids.  ,i  coiiihat  l)i't\V(M'ii  the 
iiiitldlf  iiL't's  ami  iiKidcrii  tiiiifs.  In  a  military  m'Iim',  it  was 
I, III  aliovr  the  IfVrl  ol"  u  iiias.saci'f,  lint  it  was  a  u'nat  liattlr  in 

Its    r(insr(|nt'IHH'S. 

It  slialtfiT(l  lonvcr  tlic  tlfspotisin  ol'  tlic  Marnclnkcs,  tliose 
.I'lim  slaves  who,  revolting:-  aiiainst  their  masters,  had  rnhd 
Iv/yjit  Tor  nearly  six  ee.itn'-ies.  Ami  it  did  far  more  than 
that.  When  the  hhie  sipiares  of  Kranee  hroke  thronuli  the 
.Mainelnke  line  on  that  jilain  down  by  the  little  ■_M,)Ve  of 
dati'  palms,  they  o|)ened  the  lane  hy  whieli  the  west  jiassed 
thronuli  to  the  east.  From  the  field  of  the  Battl.'  of  the  Pyra- 
mids. Oeeideiital  eivilisation  staiti'd  on  its  eventful  journey 
round  the  earth  to  the  hanks  of  the  (laii'-'es,  to  the  shore  of 
ilir  Sea  of  .Japan  and  over  the  (ireat  Wall  of  China. 

Napoleon  himself  was  not  to  realise  his  drea-u  of  empire 
ill  the  Orient,  l)Ut  there  hy  the  .Nile  his  sword  eut  the  tirst 
hreach  in  the  harrier  with  whieh  Islam  had  .so  loni:  shut  la 
the  peoples  of  Asii'.  and  shut  out  Chi'istendom  and  the  tiiodern 
world.  Here,  as  in  Italy  and  everywhere,  that  sword  of  iiis 
was  only  the  hiulily  efficient  instrument  of  the  (ireat  Revo- 
lution, on  whose  red  anvil  it  was  t'oreed,  for  opeuiiiL,'  the 
way  To  iiev.     iistitutions  and  the  unity  of  mankind. 

\Vlieii  nii:lit  fell  on  the  field  of  Hmhaheh  the  eamp  fires  of 
Niil.oleon  lit  up  the  ryramids  of  Chi/eh,  and  from  the  lofty 
Miiiimit  of  the  tomb  of  Cheops  the  astronomers  of  France  bo- 
liehi,  thou-h  faintly,  the  eon.stellatiou  of  the  southern  ero.s.s, 
"liile  Freneh  sentries  patrolled  the  shadow  of  the  Sphinx  in 
iKs  haunted  hollow. 

There  is  a  tradition  ai.iOng  the  Arabs  of  the  Pyramids  that 
all  the  sears  of  time  and  the  wounds  of  a  hundred  wars, 
whi-h  the  Sphinx  carries,  were  inflieted  by  Napoleon's 
soldiers,  who  used  its  mystifyinir  and  majestie  countenance  as 
ii  tai-'^et.  That,  however,  is  only  a  legend  for  the  tourist. 
Loiiu-  before  the  discovery  of  <:uiii)owder,  the  Arabs  had  laid 
ii'onocla.stie  hands  on  the  heard  of  this  trod  of  the  desert— for 
the  Sphinx  of  (diizeh  is  not  a  woman— and  u  was  the  ^lame- 
lukes  tliemselves  who  made  a  target  of  his  inscrutable  face 
and  .shot  away  the  nose. 


86 


IN  TIIK   FOOTSTKI'S  OK  NAI'OLKON 


It  wns  iiiurf  than  a  week  after  the  hattlf  ulicii  Napolmn 
hiniM-lt'  crossrd  the  river  and  entered  Cairo.  He  had  no  more 
than  istahliNhed  his  hea(i(|iiarters  in  the  midst  of  an  nn- 
rrieiidly  city,  eowrd  hy  tear  in  tlie  presence  of  "the  snltaii  of 
lire,"  than  he  \<  is  called  away  to  tiie  dcMrt  to  heat  hack  tiie 
.Mamelukes  who  were  L'atherins,'  aL'ain.  Tlu're,  while  in  .Mar- 
mont 's  tent  on  the  dreary  waste,  the  stau'LTerinir  news  eaiiie  to 
him  that  the  French  naval  lleet  uliieh  conveyed  him  to  the 
Kast  had  iieen  utterly  destroyed  in  the  Hattie  of  the  Nile 
on  Ani^nst  1st.  lie  had  do(l>,'ed  .Ni'l.son  all  the  way  from 
Tonlon  to  Alexandria,  hut  the  Uritish  Admiral  had  fouiul 
the  hiding-  place  cd'  his  liuhtinu'  shi|)s  in  the  I'.jiy  of  Ahoukir, 
which  is  one  of  the  forty  months  of  the  Nile,  and  had  cap- 
tured or  sunk  them  nil. 

The  folly  of  the  Iv.:yi)tian  expedition  had  receiveii  a  ter- 
I'ihle  crown.  Only  tun  rejilly  sei'viceahle  French  warships 
remained  atloal  in  all  the  .Mediterraman.  The  mistress  of 
the  seas  literally  had  mai'ooned  Napoleon  on  the  sands  of 
K;.'ypt.  A  .sorrier  pli'_dit  could  hardly  he  imagined  in  the 
chances  of   war. 

To  a  man  of  liis  force,  however,  difficulties  and  disasters 
are  only  hui'dlcs  to  he  leaped.  He  concealed  his  feeling's, 
even  from  those  who  looked  on  in  the  moment  he  received 
this  hard  hlow,  and  at  once  turned  toward  all  a  conlident 
front.  "This  is  the  hour,"  he  .said,  "when  eharaeter.s  of  a 
superior  order  .should  show  themselves.  An  ohliyration  to  do 
^M'eat  thin!_'s  is  laid  upon  us.  Seas  which  we  do  not  conimaiul 
.sei>arate  us  from  France,  hut  no  seas  divide  Africa  from  Asia. 
Here  we  will  found  an  empire." 

Knowing''  that  the  Cairenes  would  he  omholdeiied  hy  Nel- 
son's victory,  ho  hastened  hack  to  his  headcpiarters  in  the 
liome  of  Elti  Bey  hy  the  shore  of  a  pond  at  the  edire  of  the 
old  town.  That  pond  is  now  the  principal  s(piare  of  the  city, 
the   Kzhekiyeh,  which   i.s  the  very  heart  of  modern  Cairo. 

Tourisls,  rcjoiciii';  in  I  heir  first  white  helmets,  and  smoking' 
E^'yptian  cigarettes  in  wicker  chairs  amoui:  the  palms  on  the 
broad  porch  of  their  hotel,  while  they  watch  the  passinp:  show 


Ux    III*-    -w'iiciiL,    i:a '.  u    111 


.<o«^    tiiuc    tiAt.y     ai  c    ciiaxuc- 


TIIK   I5ATTLK  UK  TIIK   i'Vl.'AM  IDS 


87 


trrs  in  soiii.'  on.'  of  fli."  mnny  six  l.itru'-'st  s.-II(>rs  uliaso  authors 
Livr  worked  up  this  sr,.|i.-  on  the  trrnic..  jii  Shrpliriird  "s. 
I'l'nl.ahly  iVw  of  tli.m  jiiv  awjirv  tli.it  flir  fii-st  pjirtv  of  tour- 
i>ts  to  (iii.l  .|Uiirtcrs  wli/rv  tins  Ii.,ttl  now  stands"  was  prr- 
.■-nally  condiK'trd  \>y  Napol.-oii  l^onapart,.,  and  that  wh^rr  a 
linrupran  hooksclhT  has  Ids  shop  near  hy,  th.'  palace  walls  of 
i:ili   \iry   rose  whrn    K-ypt   was  rul.d  |,y  thr   Idttl..  ("orporai. 

Over  beyond  the  K/,lirkiy,.h,  whnv  the  plashintr  of  the 
uatrrs  ainonu'  the  tall  palms  is  drowned  hy  the  elan-:our  of 
trnlley  cars,  there  was  an  open  Held  in  other  davs.  There 
Napuleon  planned  a  -rand  halloon  ascension  to  distract  and 
mii.r.ss  the  public  ndnd,  for  he  had  brou^rht  from  France  the 
tirst  balloon  ever  seen  in  K-ypt.  But  the  air  lik..  the  sea 
tailed  the  con.pieror  of  (he  land.  The  ama/ement  of  the 
K(.'yptians  wa.s  (juickly  succeeded  by  annisem<.nt,  their  ex- 
iliiiiiations  of  awe  by  shouts  of  derision  as  thev  saw  his  tras- 
iiaL'  collapse  and  tumble  to  earth. 

lie  tried  also  to  move  the  sheiks  and  wi.se  men  to  wonder 
'<y  an  exhibitirn  which  his  French  scientists  jiave.  of  el,.c- 
tnrity,  .diemi.stry  and  other  .stranu'e  experiments  in  natural 
s'irnee.  H,.  succeeded  with  the  more  advanced  minds  in  his 
•ii"li''ii<'e.  but  many  of  his  jruests  viewed  the  demonstration 
'itli  stolid  inditlVreneo  as  unequal  to  the  marvels  of  .astern 
inaL'ic. 

"Ket  them  make  me  be  In  .Morocco  and  here  at  the  same 
tinie,"  was  a  ehallenyre  whicn  one  of  the  sheiks  i:ave.  When 
»l:e  scientific  men  told  liim  sueh  a  thin^'  was  impossible  the 
sheik  stroked  his  beard  and  turned  away  with  contempt  for 
the  sorcerers  of  the  west  who  could  only  do  tricks  with  bottles 
iiiid  wires  but  could  not  make  a  man  be  in  two  places  at  once. 

Still  another  effort  to  show  the  pcoph-  the  u.sefulne.ss  of 
Western  science  was  mad(>  at  the  niloiiieter  on  the  I.sland  of 
h'iio'la  in  the  oldest  of  old  Cairo.  This  is  the  ancient  iraupe 
"I  Kuyptian  prosperity,  which  for  nearlv  TJoo  vcars  has 
ineasuivd  the  rise  of  the  Xih'  and  indicated  the  lack  or 
"';i"ii<lanec  of  water  for  tlie  overtlowintr  of  the  thirstv  delta. 
\^  iien  .\"ai)oleon  found  that  tlie  Mamelukes  were  accnsnimod 
I"  iixmg  the  tax  rate  the  moment  the  nilom(4er  indicated  a 


88 


i\  riir:  i'<><>rsri;i's  uk  nai'om'.on 


t'OOl 


1    suiiply    or    watrr,    lu'    nnlrri'd    ;iii    iii\  rstij.it  ion 


hv    li 


iii'jiiircrs,  who  (liiLT  ilouii  :iii<i  iiiM  ;irth<,l  ,1  riMinlulfiit  dcvici' 
I'oi'  iii.iiii|iiil;itiii'j  fli>-  LMiiL'''  in  till'  iiilcr'i  >1.s  lit'  lii'jlK'i-  tiiNiitiori. 
Only  llic  tVw  with  more  ;i(l\iiiiiril  iiiiii.ls.  Iiowix.r,  wd 
('(inicil  till'  liiliiMirs  (if  till-  sc-iriitists  I'min  Fr.iiii'i'.  iiml  tlif  lali- 
oratorN,  tlir  lv^\l'liiiii  iii>titiilr  ami  tlh'  liln-ar'v  which  tlirv 
rstahlisliid.  'I'hr  iiiullitiiilr  hali'd  .•vrrylliiuL'  that  was  new. 
The  collet iMirt  11)11  of  a  canal  across  Ivjypt  was  pai't  of  Na- 
pnlcon's  nciciital  <ircain,  and  he  cart'icd  with  liini  the  eiiL'i- 
iicci's  to  I'lan  it.  'I'iie  idea  was  hy  no  means  oi'ii.' iiial.  For 
tho.se  narro«l\  di\iiicd  seas  had  lieeii  united  hy  Darius  .'idd 
years  hefore  Christ,  am!  'he  Maci'ih.nian  rtuleinies  had  wid- 
ened the  Tersian's  canal  and  erected  a  vystrin  oi'  locks,  lint 
hv  tlie  reiuii  of  ('leo|iati'a.  Darius'  ditch  had  silteij  up,  and 
it  remained  t'oi-  the  luimans  utidir  Trajan  to  restore  it  ouee 
more  in  the  first  of  the  ('hrastian  criiiurics.  The  heedless 
Arabs,  however,  hft  ;!ie  canal  to  the  wimis  ami  llie  sands 
jiiid  the  dc  eft  swallowed  it  a'-'ain.  When  Napoleon  eanie, 
the  l';tr\  I'tians  had  foi'L'otten  even  its  course,  and  !iis  eii<_'ineers 
from  Fi'aiiec  invi'iited  one  of  those  imiiossihilities  with  which 
the  cautious  and  the  Judicious  were  forever  fetteriiiL'  his  eH'_de 
tli^dits. 

The  leai'ucd  aeadcuiicians  somehow  made  the  discovery, 
appai-ciitly  witliout  the  irouhle  of  takim,'  mi:i>urements.  that 
the  ]{ed  Sea  was  nearly  t hirty-thi'i'c  fi'i't  hiijlier  than  the 
watci'.s  of  the  .Meditci'i-atican.  They  warned  the  voiniLr  (ieii- 
eral-in-cliief  that  if  he  du'.^-  a  simple  seadevcl  caiud  lie  would 
drown  Kuypt.  ami  he  di'opped  the  project,  leavinu'  it  to  he 
carried  out  in  the  reitru  of  anothei-  Nai>oleon,  nearly  three 
(|Uai1ers  of  a  century  afterwai'd.  when  Kci'dinaiid  de  Les- 
seps.  an  nnscieiitilic  French  consul,  a  cousin  of  the  Kriipress 
KuL'cnie,  t'ouml  that  the  two  seas  were  virtually  .m  a  level. 

Napoleon  was  the  lirst  to  underlake  the  heavy  and  thank- 
less ;ask  of  cleanintr  up  and  stirrinu'  up  the  slothful  cast. 
The  casy-iroiiiiT.  disoi-<ranised  K<,'yptians  wci'e  exasjxratcd  l»y 
his  passion  foi'  clraidiness,  order,  precisien  and  etli-iency. 
Kverv   innovation    for   the    purpose   (d'   improving'   tlieir  lives 


'I'lii-;  I'.ATTij-:  OF  'i-iii':  i•^•|^\MI^)s; 


80 


;iiii|   rjisiiiu'   llhir   liilinm-s   w;is   itm'|iI((1   .■iii.l    iT.siN!,i|       Work- 

llll'll     Ulio     Wrr-r    CIIUilL'fcl     lo    rlinv     liricL-,    <|||     (Plllillc    const  tllr. 

titiii      iiidiLMijititly      i-fli.Hr,l     jiuMiiist      tli.-     whr.lhiirniu      iis 

I'     it      >M|-r     ill,-     Vrhiric     of     ,\l\.        Tlh'      I  VJ,\  |  it  i  ;l  I  Is     la. I     '■;!  f  I'll  1 1 

tiK'ir  hricks  on  tli>  ir  iirjiils  miicc  the  sii-ikr  oT  tlif  rliilili'.n  of 
IsCiicI,  ;iriil  iin.\  ollirf  nnlliod  \v;i>  to  tlicni  iiii  invi'iition  of 
till'  'lr\il,  ,111  iiii|ii,iy  wliiili  they  rcfusfil  to  cniiuff, 

l>rIll,'ioils    ijirr.'lTlirrS    Urfi'    tlu'    llio.st     |i|'oii|ic    sollfcc    (ll     tfOII- 

liif.  Xiipolcoii  hill!  iloiir  his  iii'st  to  ;i\>  rt  fliiin  liy  ;ill  iiijiniif' 
of  Hirtfit ion   with    Miilioiiict.inisin.      ll,-   pionioti'd  innl   imrtii'i- 

|iatfil   in   the   tVti'  of  .Mjihoiiirt  ;   | \  rii  onj.ifd  :in  Oriental 

rostninc  for  iiini^clf  and  did  c\ii  ythiiiu  >lioi't  ol'  lirroinin'_'  a 
Malionictan,  as  sonir  histoi'ians  have  ai'cusi'd  him  of  doiiii.'. 

Till'  l-'iTiirh  had.  lio\\r\rr.  most  stiijiidly  oiitfauvd  thr  fi'cl- 
in-s  of  thr  faithful  h.v  stalilin-  thrif  hofs.-s  in  tln'  nuxsipic  of 
<■!  A/har.  This  O'amia  d  A/haf.  thr  Lifi'atrst  uiii'crsity  in 
all  Islam,  is  still  oiir  ol'  the  most  intrrcstinir  si'.dits  of  Cairo, 
Within  its  walls  thr  lam|i  of  i.'afniii',^  was  tirst  li^,'htfd  when 
Oxford  and  l'a>'i.s  and  I  Iridrlhrri,'  yrt  sat  in  priiiicval  dark- 
ness, .and  its  jiriests  have  kejit  tiie  wick  tfimiiied  for  ujuvards 
of  !l(lii  yi^ars. 

Napoleon  himself  surely  was  too  wise  lo  have  desecrated 
the  vcticraMe  mos.pie,  and  when  tjii.  priests  complained  that 
it  had  heeii  turned  into  a  stahle  he  immediately  restored  it  to 
tliciii.  All  )iis  efforts  to  hridiie  the  unlf  h.-tween  himself  and 
Mam  were  una vailimr.  however,  when  six  weeks  after  the 
lliittle  of  the  Nile,  Turkey  took  sides  with  the  British  and 
'i''larcd  a  holy  war  on  the  l<"rencli.  The  circle  of  his  mis- 
I'lCtiiiies  was  imw  complete. 

The  Sidtan  l)ein'_'  the  spiritual  head  of  the  .Moslem  woi'ld. 
Ills  dei'lai-ati(ui  of  war  aroused  the  reliLjious  fanaticism  of  the 
Iv-'yptians.  From  the  minarets  of  Cairo,  maledictions  were 
'billed  down  upon  the  French  in  a  l.ancuaLre  they  could  not 
::!idcrstand,  and  in  October  the  people  rose  in  a  freii/ied  out- 
hn  ilk  a<rainst  the  foreifrners.  Cairo  was  no  more  than  lieatcii 
hack  into  sullen  obedience  wiien  the  uatherinu'  of  an  arniv  in 
>^yria,  beneath  the  crescent  of  the  Sultan  and  under  the  com- 


90 


IN  Tin-:  FOOTSTEPS  OF  XAPOLEOX 


iiiaiul  of  tho  Piisha  of  Actv,  wlio  IkkI  merited  tlic  name  of 
I)r,jc/./ar,  or  "tlu-  HutrluT,"  a;_'aiii  f^'ravily  thmitencd  the 
French  oceiipation  of  Kirypt. 

Thus  at  twenty-nine,  Na|>olc()n  was  alone  with  lus  heavy 
rt'sponsil)ilities  and  Ids  youthful  andiitions  in  tiie  vast  alien 
world  ot  the  east.  If  he  turned  back  it  was  only  to  look- 
across  l.lud  miles  of  sea,  with  i')ritaniua  rulinu'  the  wave.  It 
he  stood  still  in  K-ypt  it  was  oidy  to  udve  the  Turks,  in  alli 
anee  with  the  liritish,  an  opportunity  to  swann  down  upon 
him  and  overwhelm  him  at  tlieir  leisure.  To  avoid  heimr 
caught  in  a  trap,  he  iiaist  hasten  to  surpris-  the  Sultan  be- 
fore he  could  marshal  his  hordes.  Althou>zh  he  could  invade 
Asia  with  a  little  band  of  only  12.000  men.  he  was  not  with- 
out a  ulinnuer  of  hope  that  after  whipping  the  Butcher  of 
Acre,  he  mitiht  be  able  to  march  across  Persia,  conquer  Eng- 
land in  India  and  still  "take  Europe  in  the  '-er: 

The  old  caravan  route  to  Syria  is  marked  at  every  step  by 
footprints  in  the  sands  of  time.  As  Napoleon  set  out  upon  it 
in  February,  17!)8,  he  was  thrilled  by  the  thouizht  that  at  la.st 
his  feet  were  in  the  path,  of  Alexander.  Not  withstanding  the 
disappointments  that  had  crowded  upon  hun  sim-e  the  day 
be  landed  on  the  shore  of  the  Orient  he  still  cherished  the 
dream  tliat  this  nnuht  he  his  own  iiathway  to  an  eastern  em- 
pire which  would  rival  the  irreat  Macedonian's  and  make  him 
the  master  of  the  worlJ  fre-u  the  Gan-res  to  the  Seine. 


CHAPTER  XII 


INTO  THE  HOLY  L.VND 

1709      AUK   i;0 

TITE  traveller  from  Efr>Tt  to  Palestine  L'oes  to-day  1)y 
rail  throuiih  the  land  of  ( fosheii  to  I'ort  Said  and 
thence  by  l)oat  to  .Jatl'a.  For  Napoleon  there  was  no 
iron  road,  only  a  trail  in  the  sand,  and  no  safe  passage  by 
water,  where   British  ships  were  seoiitintr  alonir  the  eoast. 

After  more  than  a  eentury  had  passed,  the  situation  was 
st'-angely  chanfred  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war  in  1!)14.  In 
this  later  instanee,  Knuland  occupied  Jlirypt,  and  France 
was  her  ally,  while  Turkey  in  ''  >claring  war  upon  her,  had 
the  support  of  (iennany.  And  the  Tureo-CJenuan  forces,  in 
tliiir  plans  of  an  Egyptian  invasion,  were  confronted  by  the 
sMiae  problem  that  troubliMi  the  Freneh  in  the  matter  of  mov- 
ing their  big  guns.  Napoleon  was  obliu'cd  to  send  his  heavy 
siege  artillery  by  sea,  because  it  could  not  be  dragged  across 
the  desert.  It  was  enough  for  his  army  to  drag  its  feet  over 
the  more  than  150  miles  of  hot  sand  drifts  and  for  the  long 
camel  trains  to  bear  the  burden  of  food  and  ammunition. 

For  d  week  and  more,  in  February,  ITHf),  his  soldiers 
inarched  in  a  land  that  offered  not  a  morsel  of  food  and 
where  there  was  only  an  occasional  bunch  of  desert  weeds  for 
the  hundreds  of  beasts  with  which  they  advanced.  P^or  there 
is  hardly  an  oasis  in  all  the  miserable  desert  of  El  Tih.  En- 
i-'iiieers  went  aiiead  to  clear  the  wells,  which  were  merely 
iioles  in  the  sand.  But  *'"■  army  had  to  marcli  in  dixisions 
a  day  apart  lest  the  wells  be  drunk  dry  at  a  single  gulp,  and 
tlif  bitter  brackish  water  was  measured  out  like  brandy  to 
the  thirsty  mouths  of  the  soldiers. 

Ill  the  skirmishes  Na[)oleon  had  developed  the  camel  as  an 

91 


92 


IN"   TIIK   F(H  )'|'STI:PS  (tF   NAroLHOX 


(■t'fiririit  iiiil  for  Mural  s  caviilry.  With  two  aniifd  iiicii  on 
till'  liack  ot'  this  steed  of  tlie  desert  it  Leeaiiie  a  tliiiiu'  of  terror 
even  t(i  the  Aral)  lioi'seineii.  Foi'tuiiately  they  did  not  molest 
the  Syiiati  expedition  and  the  army  encountered  no  human 
enemy  on  the  lonu'.  sihMit,  hiirnin;,'  road  throuirli  the  desert, 
which  Napoh'on  said  "was  the  imau'e  of  immensity  to  my 
thouL'lits.  It  liad  neither  Ijcizinjunir  nor  end.  It  wa.s  an 
ocean  for  tlie  foot  of  man." 

Out  of  a  vast  waste  Ki  Ai'ish,  tlie  first  outpost  of  Asia,  rises 
in  till  •.alley  of  the  Mihiieal  "River  of  Kuypt."  liefore  it 
stretehcs  a  beautiful  irrigated  jilain  whei'e  date  ])al!tis  i'.ml 
fiLT  trees  east  tlirir  cool  shadows  and  wlu're  the  shinin<i  l  ("'ii 
of  .lie  vines  is  a  most  weleome  siijrht  to  eyes  lonix  bli.'id  i  by 
the  Liiare  of  sky  and  sand. 

Kl  Arisli  is  so  old  that  hi^toi'y  cannot  count  its  years.  Its 
camels  and  muh's  drink  from  a  stone  troueli  that  was  once 
tlie  sarcophai:us  of  a  ]iroud  Ivjyptian,  and  it  was  only  the  day 
liifoi-e  yesterday,  in  its  reekoniin:'  of  time,  when  Baldwin  1, 
l\in<^'  of  .lerusalein.  lay  down  to  die  within  its  walls.  It  is 
to-day  a  town  of  livid  white  houses  and  perhaps  7000  people, 
who  phin'je  about  ankle  deep  in  its  sandy  streets  as  they  'j:o 
to  belli!  their  heads  to  .Meeea  in  the  mosipie  or  to  swell  the 
chatferiii<.i  hubbub  of  the  bazars. 

Wlien  .Xapoleon  stood  before  its  i.'ate  he  had  no  artillery 
with  which  to  bombard  the  garrison  behind  the  walls.  There- 
fore, he  set  up  behind  his  earthworks  twenty  cross  sticks  and 
hum:  a  soldier's  coat  and  hat  on  each.  History  asks  us  to 
believe  that  the  simple  Turks  bla/ed  away  at  those  scarecrows 
three  days,  until  their  ammunition  was  nearly  e.xhanstcd, 
when  they  surrenderetl. 

Napoleon  resumed  his  toilsome  marcli  in  th(>  desert  from 
El  Arish,  an  exix-rience  ma.de  doubly  vexatious  by  Kleber's 
division  missing-  its  way  and  wanderinj?  about  for  forty-eight 
hours  without  coming  upon  a  well.  Some  of  tlie  men,  dis- 
gusted and  discouraged,  had  aimrily  broken  their  muskets. 
When  they  <-arne  up,  the  Geiieral-in-chief  only  gently  ohided 
the  poor,  half-crazed  mutineers.     "It  would  have  been  bet- 


INTO  THE  HOLY  LAND 


93 


\i'V."  ho  to](l  tlieni.  "to  stick  yonr  licads  in  the  sand  and  die 
with  liouDur  than  to  ixivc  your.si'lvcs  uj)  to  disordt'i'."' 

Soon  the  weary  men  of  Franee  looked  ui)on  the  verdant 
iiiiil  lertih'  phiins  of  tlie  Philistines,  sniilinti  a  s|)rin>;-tinie  wel- 
coiue,  while  tlie  storied  inoniitains  of  .Imh-a  loomed  i)lne 
lejainst  the  eastern  liorizon.  At  last  the  desert  was  left  be- 
iiiiid.  with  all  its  stran-v  trials,  not  least  amoiiir  which  was  the 
necessity  of  messinu'  on  camels,  asses  and  (1ol:s. 

Before  the  French,  rose  the  walls  and  mos(|nes  of  Haza,  the 
proud  eity  of  the  I'hilistines.  the  doors  of  whose  <rates,  irate- 
jinsts,  bar  and  all.  Samson  carried  otr  on  his  .stalwart  shoul- 
ili  IS,  after  having'  slain  his  thousand  with  the  jawbone  of  an 
;i^s.  There,  too,  at  (iaza  the  lusty  Daiiite  prrew  his  second 
111  ;id  of  iiair  in  place  of  the  locks  Delilah  liad  shorn  and,  there, 
with  his  .strength  thus  renewed,  he  pulled  down  the  pillars 
"f  the  hou.se  while  ;5000  Philistines  stood  on  the  roof  to  mock 
him. 

After  havinu'  been  saeked  forty  times,  (iaza  still  is  an  im- 
portant and  busy  place  of  4(1,000  pop'ulat ion.  Alexander 
liad  to  besiege  the  town  two  months  befoi't>  he  coidd  enter  its 
u'iites,  but  its  latest  captor.  Napoleon,  took  it  without  tirimr  a 
^lH't.  Then  he  marched  on  toward  Jatfa,  across  the  renowned 
li:itilefields  of  David,  wheiv  the  ark  of  the  covenant  was  tlie 
pri/e  of  victory.  I'p  on  the  borderinjx  mou'.itain  side  is  the 
siviie  of  the  duel  with  (Joliath,  where  with  the  pel)bles  of  a 
lii'eok  that  armoured  jiiant  of  Gath  was  laid  low. 

Wlien  the  beauty  of  Israel  lay  slain  upon  the  hijjh  places, 
iiiid  David  wept  for  Saul,  he  saw,  even  through  his  tears, 
this  land  of  his  hated  enemy  tilled  with  -xultation  over  his 
loss,  and  he  cried  OKt :  "Tell  it  not  in  (iath,  publish  it  not  in 
tlie  streets  of  Ascalon.  lest  the  daughters  of  the  Philistines 
i-c,i()ice."  There  are  few  indeed  to  be  told  in  (iath  to-day, 
for  a  wretched  huddle  of  Arab  huts  is  all  that  is  left  of 
t!i''  onc<-  warlike  city,  while  orchard  trees  and  onion  patches 
cover  the  streets  of  Ascalon,  the  birthplace  of  Herod  the 
Orcit. 

i  ! '■  French  marched  over  the  iidds  of  Philistia  in  early 


94 


IN  TIIK   FODTSTKl'S  OF  .\AIN)Li;oN 


Maroh  nnd  tlieir  beauty  took  Xiipolooii  hy  snri)rist'.  Tie  ]ik- 
('iicd  thf  sc.'iH>  to  thr  landscape  of  Laiitrue.loe.  al)oiit  Toulouse, 
in  soutiiern  France.  It  is  indeed  a  lovely  land,  a  veritablt' 
garden  of  wild  tlowers  and  a  riot  of  colour. 

Xapoleon  steered  his  course  toward  tlie  tower  of  the  forty 
martyrs  at  Kandeh,  where  the  Franciscans  welcomed  him  to 
their  convent,  wiiicli  stands  on  the  traditional  .site  of  the  house 
of  Joseph  of  Ai'iniatlica.  \ow  tlie  irood  fathers  not  only 
show  their  visitors  the  altar  dedicated  to  the  rich  man  wlin 
came  amon<,'  the  poor  (lalijean  outi'asts  at  the  foot  of  the 
cro.ss  and.  takinir  the  body  of  .Jesus.  I;nd  it  in  his  own  tomb, 
but  the\  exhibit  also  the  room  of  tiie  youiiLT  (Jeneral-in-chief 
of  France. 

Throutrh  the  town  of  Ranileh  runs  one  of  the  two  railroads 
of   Palestine,   that   from  JatFa   to  Jerus;,  wiiere   tlie  pil- 

frrims  to  ttie  Holy  City  are  drawn  up  in  .  -  mountains  by 
locomotives  that  were  first  built  for  the  use  of  Uie  Fren<'h  iii 
the  construction  of  the  i'anama  Canal.  The  ancient  hitrh- 
way  to  -Jerusalem  also  passes  I)y  the  town,  and  Bourrienne 
suggested  to  Xapoleon  that  he  march  to  the  city  of  David. 
But  his  chief  turned  aside  froi.i  Jerusalem  as  lie  had  from 
Romp.  "I  am  not  ambitious  for  the  fate  of  Ca.ssius,"  he 
said. 

With  his  back  to  the  Judeaii  Mountains,  be  marched  on 
Jafla,  past  J.ydda.  at  whose  ^rate,  aecordiui,'  to  the  prophecy 
of  .Mahomet,  Christ  will  slay  Antichrist  on  the  last  day. 
Lydda  boasts  above  all  that  it  was  tlie  scene  of  the  martyrdom 
of  St.  (ieornre,  the  Christianized  soldier  of  Rome  who  rescued 
the  maiden  from  the  dratron,  and  it  was  there  by  his  tradi 
tional  <rrave  that  Richard  ( '(cur  de  Lion  adopted' St.  Georp;e 
as  the   patron  saint  of  England. 

When  Xapoleon  arrived  liefore  the  walls  of  JaflPa  he  found 
a  <rarrison  of  4000  Turks,  with  forty  euns,  determined  with 
:\IosIem  fanaticism  to  r.'sist  his  entry  into  the  town.  While 
he  was  directinii-  the  assault  on  the  place,  a  musket  ball  carried 
away  his  hat  and  struck  dead  a  coloiie!  who  stood  ])eliind  him, 
and  v.ho  was  live  feet  ten  inches  tall.     "That  is  the  second 


INTO  THE  IIOLV  LAND 


95 


•i;in'."'  til.    r.ittif  (*orpornl  miiiirkcd,  "that  I  out  mv  lilV  to 

.:iV    llt'iLrllt." 

Aftor  two  (liiys  of  horiihardnitnt.  the  French  rushed  into 
•l.ilVa  with  orders  to  kill  all  persons  in  anus,  when  some  Al- 
.iiiians  shouted  from  the  windows  of  a  hi;,'  khan,  or  Arabian 
nil,  tliat  they  with  2()(H)  other  survivors  of  the  Turkish  f,'ar- 
MM)n  had  taken  refut'e  in  the  khan  and  would  fJL'ht  to ''the 
i.itii  or  surrender  only  on  condition  tiiat  their  lives  be 
glared.  Xotwithstandinu  the  orders  were  to  "take  no  pris- 
i>nr,'s"  in  a  town  that  had  to  be  carried  by  storm,  and  whose 
-nveriKii'  had  cut  off  tlie  liead  of  a  messenger,  the  terms  were 
ai-crptcd. 

AVhy  in  the  devil's  name  have  they  dene  this:'"  Xai)oleon 
IX'  laimed  as  he  saw  from  his  tent  the  liand  of  -aptives  a])- 
I'nmchinir.  He  was  without  food  for  prisoners,  without  ships 
!o  send  them  away  from  the  theatre  of  war,  and  even  without 
nicii  to  spare  for  a  prison  guard,  if  he  set  tluMu  free  they 
"iHild  hasten  on  to  join  the  army  of  Dejezzar,  at  Acre.  In- 
l''d  many  of  them,  he  said,  were  men  he  had  paroled  at  the 
'■'M'ture  of  El  Arish.  "What  do  you  e.xpect  me  to  do  with 
tlitiu'.'"  he  anixrily  deu'anded. 

Their  fate  was  inevitable.  In  a  conflict  between  civilisa- 
tinii  and  barbarism,  the  civilised  force  sinks  to  the  level  of 
'!.-•  barbarian.  It  is  the  old  familiar  story,  beard  around  the 
•v'!!ld.  of  tightin-  the  devil  with  fire.  If  it  bad  remained  for 
i'liii  whose  own  nation  ^  is  witliout  sin  of  a  like  nature  to  cast 
til'-  tirst  stone,  Xapoh^on  might  not  have  been  assailed  so  viru- 
!'ii'!y  for  the  horrible  Jaffa  massacre. 

Tiie  {)risoners  were  marched  down  to  the  beach  and  shot. 
>^nine  leaped  iuto  the  sea  and  swam  for  their  lives  to  the  rocks 
uhi-h  make  the  harbour  of  Jaffa  famous— or  infamous— the 
liihled  rocks  to  which  the  virgin  Andromeda  wa.s  chained. 
'■'lit  the  appetite  of  the  firing  squads  bad  grown  by  what  it 
'"i  on.  Not  n,  be  cheated  of  their  full  measure  of  blood, 
tlH'y  ro.sted  their  muskets  on  the  beach  and  by  makimr  an 
Oriental  sign  of  reconciliation  they  enti<'ed  the  miserable 
tiiintiv"s  from  the  penis  of  the  foaming  sea,  to  shoot  them 
tlouii  a  .  tli,.y  were  about  to  swim  ashore. 


9G 


IX  TIIK   FOOTSTKPS;  OF  XAI'OLKON 


.hilTa  is  tlh'  ])()r1;il  of  the  Holy  Ljirnl.  Tli(iusiiii<ls  of  pil- 
L'riiiis  cvrry  yr;ir  .jiiiii|)  Irniii  thrir  straiiirfs  iiiti)  thr  at'iiis  a] 
\v'U  lioatiiin:.  who  \'<,w  tliriii  l)rt\\ffn  llic  .'a'^^cd  I'ocks  ami 
land  tliiMii  on  the  sliot'c  of  th"  sfraiiLTc.  tiiinulf nor«  oast.  Tlic 
(Iraij-omatis  of  tlir  tou  n  arr  oviTllowiiiu  w  itii  aii:a;'.iiiLjly  iiiiiiutc 
inl'oniiation  alioiit  tlic  exact  laiidinLT  place  in  this  ancient 
'loppa  of  the  cedar  of  I.ehanoii  which  the  Kinir  of  Tyre  sent 
for  the  hi  did  ill--  of  SolonntiFs  ti'niple ;  the  veritatile  i)oiiit  of  i]<-- 
l)ai'tiir.'  whence  .Jonah,  tleeiim-  from  the  presence  of  (iod, 
sailed  in'iice  into  tile  storm,  only  to  he  fliuiL:'  overboard  to  the 
whale;  the  precise  site  cd'  the  house  of  Simon  the  tanner, 
whei'e  Pi'trr  tarried  m;iny  days,  and  the  tomb  of  Dorcas,  the 
woman  fidl  of  ^'ood  woi'ks  and  alms  deeds,  whom  the  apostle 
raised   from  liie  dead. 

I>nt  they  are  less  detinite  and  voluble  about  the  more  re- 
cent ways  and  habitations  of  \aj)oleoii.  After  holdiim  a  pro- 
loni^vd  confei'ence  on  the  subject,  their  elutd'  spokesman  eould 
otVer  no  bettei'  r\euse  fur  their  iunoi'ance  than  by  saying: 
"Vou  see.  Nai'oleon  did  not  jret  into  the  iJible."  And  of 
course,   that   was  his   fault,  not   theirs. 

The  fathei-s  of  the  Armenian  monastery,  however,  (pialify 
in  j)rofane  histoi-y  by  showiie.;  the  very  cell  in  whi(di  Napo- 
leon slept  while  he  made  their  monastic  liome  his  own.  Tlieir 
tall.  imposiiiL;-  vardss,  ov  "shootini:  man,"  also  eond  icts  the 
curious  down  into  the  cavernous  and  |)illared  ])lace  which, 
after  Xaiioleon's  depai'tinv,  became  the  celebrated  pest  hos- 
pital of  .Jalt'a. 

From  Jaffa,  Napoleon  marched  up  over  the  Plain  of  Sliarnn, 
with  the  .Mediterranean  on  the  one  hand  and  on  the  other, 
first  the  mountain.s  of  dudea  and  then  the  mountains  of  Sa- 
maria. He  passed  the  fallen  temples  of  Ca^sarea,  rounded  tln' 
base  of  .Mt.  Carmel  and  followed  the  beaidi  of  Haifa  to 
Acre. 

The  highway  that  t.)-(lay  leads  to  Acre,  to  Xablons,  to 
-Vazareth.  and  to  Damascus,  rouiih  thou<rh  it  be,  is  one  of 
the  three  of  four  I'eal  carriajre  roads  of  Palestine.  The  uood 
roads  mov(>ment  thei'e  dates  only  from  the  pilurima<,'e  of  tlu> 
(lermaii    Emjieror    in    I'^ft^.    when   the    Sultan    ordered   some 


INTO  TIIK   IIol.V  LAM) 


97 


(0,1(1  l)iiil(liiii:  for  the  Kiiiscr 
1»'"  cDiitiiiu.'d  litfiiil\-  J'ur  th 


s  coiivcnii'iicc.  jiiid  tl 


ir  work 


as 


lifiiclit   of  tilt'  tourLst.- 


I  "■  nafuvs  naturally  take  no  interest  in  ti,e  snl.jeet  for 
"'''''■•'""'I'  '•<'"l'l  'H)t  ov-ruheln.  th,.  mm  of  the  valLv  an,l 
'  ••1'""'  l-<-""se  they  ha.lehari.,ts  of  iron.  tVu-  diarints  have 
'".v  fO-.lay,  these  „,en  of  the  valley  ;n„l  phlin.  Th.  ;,ss  ;nul 
!,::'"'""'■'  '"';'  "'"  ii-nnen.orial  trails  and  paths  snf(ire  the,,, 
In.'re  were  lately  only  two  anton.ohih.s  in  all  the  eountrv' 
••in  I  tli.'y  were  owned   l)v  forei-liers 

ll^nfa  whieh  sits  at"  the  font  of  Mt.  Car.n-l  across  th.> 
l'<iy  ut  Aer..,  ,.s  one  of  the  two  ports  of  the  li„lv  i.and  and  it 
.sa  ternimns  ot  one  of  th.  two  r,nl,-oads  of  I'alestine.  that 
"',".'   7';j;  up   f'-om   the   Mediter,.anean   to   Damaseus. 

Like  Jafla.  Ilaita.  too.  is  ree-ivi,,,,.  the  stimulus  of  procn-ess 
fn>:n  a  prosperous  German  reli:rious  eohmy.  The  'olonists 
■^^'  I'.v  tlieniselv...s  m  ,„odern  houses  and  hroad.  sliadv  st.vets 
To  Sep  irom  t  leir  Lafy.  flow,.ry  ,uarter  into  the  stonv! 
TMl.-l  noisy  old  town  is  like  passin-  in  a  niinnte  fron> 
•;'"opo  to  As,a,  trom  Christendom  to  Islam,  from  the  twe„. 
ti''Mi  eentury  to  the  tenth. 

Th,-  road  from  Haifa  to  Aere  prohabl.N    =s  the  best  example 
t  road  buildmu  in  the   Turkish    K.npire.     Not   the   Sultrn 
owevor,   but  old    Neptune   was   its   builder.     It   lies   on     le 
■•ird  beach  wliieh  borders  the  eurvbi.  bay  an.l  runs  thro,' 
the    ord  aemss  the  brook  Kishon,  by  whieh   Klijah   slew  the 
ropMs   ot    Baal.     Over   the    shells    where    the''  Phamieian: 

.       ...    nto  the  .itUe  stream  whose  wat,.-s  triekle  aeross  the 
>  "  Is  Mhere,  aeeorduiir  to   Pliny,  ,dass  was  dis^-overed.   and 
'-■lly  It  comes  to  a  halt  before  tlie  pate  of  Aero 
i  l>at  -ate    at  which  Xapoleon  poun,!,.!  for  two  tnonths  in 

-prm.o MTO:..  has.th,.ou,d.  allreeord,.dtim,.rnt    e 

01    a^e  on  te  highway  becwe,-„   Afriea   an.l   Asia,  betwe.:; 

i->Pt    and       onstantmople,    b,tween    the     Ilolv    Land    ami 

^,'na-and  blood  has  been  its  roll.     If  the  bones  of  th,.  mul- 

;;•■   -who  have  been  slain  at  that  cruel  portal  coubl  be  -ath- 
^^;.;|J"/'  '■'■^1'.  Acre  wmild  sir  in  the  shadow  of  a  mountain 


98 


IN  TIIK  FOOTSTKl'S  OK  NAPOLKON 


Til  the  rnisiidi's.  to  tro  back  no  farther,  it  was  tlie  ^atf  tci 
the  Holy  Land,  iirid  liiiiidn'ds  of  thousands  of  ("nisadcrs  and 
Saracens  are  said  to  liave  perished  before  it.  Hehiiul  it  the 
hosts  of  the  cross  maile  their  hist  stand,  and  whi'ii  Acre  fell 
(St.  Jean  d'AiTe  it  was  called  ).  the  Crusa(h'rs  hiy  hurinl 
hencatli  its  ruined  walls,  never  aL'ain  to  rise  and  battle  tor 
the  ri'seue  of  the   Holy  Si^piilchre. 

And  this  hlood-drenehed  threshold  of  Acre  is  the  "Ciate  of 
Nazareth!"  For  it  looks  out  upon  the  hills  where  only 
twenty  miles  away  dwelt  the  meek  and  foriiearinpt  Nazarein' 
who  tauL'ht  the  lesson  so  hard  for  men  to  learn:  '"  Wliosoi'vrr 
shall  smite  thee  on  thy  ri<rht  cheek,  turn  to  him  the  other 
also." 

It  had  been  HOO  years  and  more  since  an  array  from 
("liristeiidom  had  presented  itself  iiefoi'e  the  irate  of  Acre 
when  Na[>o!eon  came  to  challenge  this  stronudiold  of  Turkish 
power,  ikd'ore  him  stretched  the  classic  hiLrhwa\  of  emitire 
to  the  famous  ladder  of  Tyre,  leaiunv'  airain.st  a  white,  rocky 
promontory.  Hehind  that  headland  lies  the  city  of  Iliram, 
whose  capture  is  counted  amoii^'  tlie  most  eeicbrated  ex- 
ploits of  Alexander  the  (ireat. 

Surely  this  new  Alexander  would  make  short  work  of  Acre, 
the  savage  den  of  a  Bosnian  slave  who  boasted  the  bloody  title 
of  Dejezzar,  which  means  '"the  butcher,"  "the  beheader." 
"the  cutthroat"  or  something  (Mpially  terrible.  Hut  this 
barbarian  did  not  stand  alone  at  the  Acre  gate.  The  British 
lion  was  crouching  there  in  the  path  of  Napoleon. 

By  a  dramatic  combination  of  circumstances  which  thp 
playwright  and  the  novelist  might  hesitate  to  employ  :iid 
which  makes  history  seem  theatrical.  Napoleon  found  stand- 
ing on  either  side  of  De.jezzar  two  men  who  had  crossed  his 
path  in  other  years  and  other  laixls.  One  of  them  was  a 
daring  young  PiUglish  sailor  of  fortune  who,  afi,  r  servins: 
with  Swedish  and  Turkish  tleet.s.  had  joined  the  British  navy 
and  was  at  Toulon  when  it  ftdl  under  the  tire  of  Napoleon's 
l)att cries.  It  was  he  who  stayed  hehind  to  blow  up  the  mat:- 
azines  and  cheat  the  victors  of  their  spoils. 

In  a  later  daredevil  adventure  he  was  captured  as  a  siis- 


i«^ 

H 

INTO 

TIIK  HOLY  LAM) 

99 

[1  rtnl 

spy 

and  < 

(int 

iliei 

1  in  the  teiniih'  at   I'ar 

IS  for  two  ye 

ars. 

Ai'trr 

J'I'I' 

■aliiii: 

in 

\'ain   to   the   mi'iuhers  of 

the    i_'ovi 

rninent 

Id  111' 

exeli 

an^ed 

as 

a 

|)ris()ner  of  war,   lie  addressed 

"    ! 

.le-l 

lor  assistance  to 

N; 

pol 

eon  on  Ills  I'etnrn   fi'om   Italy, 

i)Ut 

re- 

ccivcd 

IK) 

re|)ly 

' 

rh.' 

prisoner    in    the    tein 

pie    was 

Sid 

ney 

Siiiitli 

The 

otht 

r  ally 

of 

I)e 

iezzar  was  a  Freiieliin 

111  and  a 

L'r; 

dii- 

it.-  of  the  Keole  Militaire  in  i'ai'is.  lie  and  Naiioieoii  were 
;i1  llie  Meole  tofjether,  where  tlie>'  ((Ual'I'ilied  and  kieketl  each 
(itlier's  shins  lilaek  and  i)l\ie  under  the  desks  in  the  elassrooin. 
This  was  I'helippeaiix. 

l'lie!i[)peaux  was  an  aristocrat  anil  an  enemy  of  the  Repub- 
lic P)ein<;  in  Paris  and  reatly  for  plots  he  aitled  Smith  to 
(sr,!])!'  from  tl.o  temide  just  one  week  to  a  day  before  Napo- 
l-'iii's  departure  for  Toulon  and  the  east.  They  fled  to  En^- 
l.iinl,  and  when  Smith  was  sent  to  Kirypt  to  watch  and  thwart 
.\a[i()lroii,  lMieli[)peaux  eagerly  joined  him  in  the  expedition 
itL-'iiiiist  his  old  schoolroom  foe. 

While  the  army  was  slowly  labouring  across  the  (h-seii, 
Smith,  raciii'^'  on  ahead  with  his  little  fleet,  jiounced  upon  the 
f'lctirh  tfotilla,  haviim  on  hoard  the  sie^je  train  and  ammuni- 
tion. Napoleon,  thus  le.'t  without  tlie  necessary  means  of 
lirsi,  L'in^'  the  town,  saw  his  own  guns  mounted  on  the  walls 
liy  I'lielippeaux  and  turned  a;;ainst  him. 

Forty  times  in  two  months  he  hurled  liis  little  force  in 
vain  airainst  the  gate  of  Acre  under  the  fire  from  the  town, 
liiid  riftcn  under  another  stream  of  fire  from  the  British  sliips. 
In  tile  midst  of  the  sieire  an  army  of  Turks  from  Damascus, 
lumstinu  themselvi's  innumerah'  >  as  the  sands  of  the  sea  or  as 
tile  stars  of  heaven,  bore  down  upon  the  French  rear. 

Tn  meet  the  Turks  and  'British  in  front  and  beat  otV  the 
Tiuk:;  that  were  swarming  behind  him.  Napoleon  had  now  an 
iiiiiiy  uf  only  IlOdO  men.  If  I'auglit  between  the  two  forces, 
his  little  band  would  certainly  be  smashed  to  pieces.  To 
avert  that  catastrophe,  he  determined  to  divide  his  forces, 
hasten  into  the  mountains  of  (lalilee  and  there  challenge  the 
luirde  from  Damascus  on  its  march  to  the  relief  of  Acre. 


(  iiai*ti:k  xiir 

ins  Fii;s-r  i;i;ti;i;at 

IT'.i'J      At  IK    Jl»-;JU 

WIIKN  NnpolfOii  niairlicd  into  the  mountains  of  (Jal- 
il.T,  in  thr  ninnth  u\'  April.  17!)!»,  to  stem  the  tide  ol 
Tiir-iis  pourint;  down  upon  Idni  from  Damascus,  lif 
natilicd    lUDd   men    aL:ain.st    ;{(),(tiMi.     For   In    dar.'il   taivc   no 
lar'jfcr  numlirr  from  tlir  sic-c  of  Acre,  wiid'c  'I'urkisli  trooi's 
and  i'rilisli  shijis  were  lioldinu  tli'-  town  a'^ainst  him. 

The  lirst  shock  of  hatth'  n'v.'rhcratcd  aliout  the  traditional 
.Mount  of  the  iJeatitudes.  the  lloi'ns  of  llattin,  where  (Jencral 
dunot,  with  only  .'!(»(!  men  in  a  sipiare  withstood  an  advaneiii;.' 
eoluiun  of  401)6  Turkish  horsemen.  Next  Kleher's  infantry 
met  and  repelhnl  a  lar-v  body  of  eavalry  at  Cana,  where  a 
Creek  |)riest  shows  the  .stone  jars  in  whieh  tlie  water  was 
turiieil  into  wine  for  the  weddini;  feast. 

The  Turks  were  l)urslin<r  into  the  valley  of  tlie  Jordan  when 
Napoleon  himself  struck  out  alou'j'  the  bridle  path  that  leads 
from  Acre  uji  into  Na/.ai'eth,  where,  .seeing,'  the  smoke  of 
battle  euilin'j;  about  the  lieiLihts  of  the  town,  he  spurred  his 
horse  to  the  scene  of  combat.  Deseendinti  between  Mt.  Tabor 
and  the  .Mountain  of  the  J'reeipitation,  down  the  elitf  of 
which  the  nnbelievini:-  Na/areiies  thi'eatened  to  cast  tli'' 
liropliet  who  was  not  witliout  lioimur  save  amonu;  bis  own 
])eople.  he  looked  out  uiion  the  Instoric  Plain  of  Esdraelon  or 
Jezreel. 

There,  the  youn<j  champion  of  the  west,  fresh  from  his  vic- 
tory in  the  cockpit  of  Europe  entered  the  list.s  in  this  cock- 
pit of  Asia.  Liftinii'  his  ^lass,  his  eye  swept  the  field  of 
strife.  In  tlie  west  rose  .Alt.  Carmel  by  the  sea,  and  to  tln' 
south  the  hills  of  Samaria.  Over  to  the  east,  where  the  moun- 
■  .'   ■••!      1       ,,,„  ,1,,;,!!   to   tise   Ixivcr  dordan.   the   Mos- 

luO 


.•;i...wi 


1 1  IS  FIIJST   KKTKKAT 


101 


iir 


Inn   cn.niy    ujis   .■iiciMnp..!    in    „    Mark    ,n;,.s   of   vumrW 

tt'lltS. 

At  thr  foot  of  T.'ilior.  (;,.nrr;,l  Kl.l,,,-.  uirh  ik.  ho,,,.  ,„• 
tlioiij-'lK  thnt  til..  (.••■„.nil-in-rl,i..f  was  ,-,.„unu'  to  liis  nsci,. 
u;.s  stiilihnrnly  l,o|,|in-  l,ark  a  l,i-  |,„ni.-  of  i,ioinifr,|  mi.-h  as 
""■>'  ■•"'^■I'lrr.l  frniu  lliDf  caMip  aiid  furi.,ii>lv  si  row  f„ 
;-nisl,  ins  httl,.  fonv  a.ainst  thr  l.a.sr  of  tl,;.  inuu.itain. 
lilt'    hifkish  (had  lay   iii  windrows  all  ahout  iiiiu. 

For  hours  K\r\,rv  had  Imtii  hattliim  with  drspnir  II.. 
uish.,1  only  to  l.ivak  throiinl,  thr  Turkish  lin..s  or  at  I.-ast  s...- 
Ins  hraw  out  .■xhaust..!  han.l  .11,.  hkr  sohlicrs  rath.T  than  1..- 
iMitchrr..,!  !ik..  .sh,.,.|..     Soon   ji,.  must   liiv  his  kist  ..artrid-v 

With  ail  instant  -rasp  of  ih,.  ,l,.sp,.rat..  .situati.)n,  .\ap..h.on 
-I.I  his  small  body  of  ravalry  a.-ross  thr  plain  tliroii-di  tl..|ds 
"i  whrat  SIX  f..,.t  hiuh.  whirh  s,-r,...nr.l  tli..m  from  th..  Turks 
lli'-;-avalrym..n  uaw  th..  ..n..„iy  a  wi.j..  hrrtli  until  th-v  w.-iv 
in  us  r..ai-,  wh..n  tli.y  rlos.-.l  in  to  .Mit  him  off  from  his  ..amp 
Jin.l  his  linr  of  rrtivat  ov.r  th.'  -Ionian.  As  thr  Turks  in  th..ir 
•surpris,.  and  h..wildrrm..nt  .liscov..r.-d  1h..sr  Frrnrli  horsr- 
'ii';'_i  hrhui.l  thrin  thry  turn...!  from  Kl..l)..r. 

Tliat  was  the  nu)iii..nt  for  .\apoI..on  to  <l,liv..r  his  srron.I 
^trokr.  L..a.]inj,'  in  p..rson  a  fone  of  infant rv  within  a  -uu- 
sliot  ol  the  Turkish  lin..,  th..ir  lirr  sud.l,.nlv  hurst  upon  th.. 
I""  imm  thr  fi..|,i  of  -rain.  At  th..  sidit  of  .Xapoh-on  ..m..r- 
'"'-  lr...n  th..  wh.at,  Kl..l)..r's  hanl-pr.-ss...l  an.l  d.'.spairin.' 
'"I'i'l  iiiadr  th..  (ialii.'an  hills  rini,'  with  .•lir..rs. 

i-'uidin._r  th..  Fr..nrh  sprin-inu  upon  thrm  from  everv  di- 
'•'■'•fioi,  as  if  th..y  w..r..  a  niultitu.l...  an.l  lin.lin-  th.^nKs..] \vs 
'"  "i.  .■.■ntiv  of  a  trian^lr,  th.-  ;W.()()0  Turks  broke  in  mad 
aiMirdrr.  Th.y  fl..d  to  th.-  .Jor.ian,  s..Mnp..r...l  otf  toward  the 
•'■■■<  ot  (iahl....  or  hi.l  in  th.-  hills,  havin-  tx.hin.l  tii..m  400 
•■aiii.'s.  s(..)r..s  of  hor.s..s,  many  -uiis.  alnni.lant  ammunition 
"li'l  to.i.I  ..nou<,di  to  last  th..   Fn-nrii  a  y..ar. 

Alt.  Tal.or  is  th..  most  lii.storir  anion-  „ii  .\;,rioh.on  "s  rx- 
tivmr.lmary  battloti.qds.  That  plain  of  Es.lra..lon  has  h....n 
11''  prize  nil-  of  thr  nations  of  th..  ..ast  throuirh  5000  yrars 
that  are  tol.l,  ;Mid  w..  know  not  how  murli  lon-..r  tlirou-li 
<'j.'<s  Uuiui.i. 


1(»12 


IN  nil'-   lOOlsTKl'S  OK   NAl'<»Li;(JN 


Th,.  s.Mok..  of  th.  lo..n,notiv..  now  ri^.s  .■lo>..  l.nr:i-M  th. 
,,,  of  N;,..,v,h  .>  .  trau,  lr.„n  1  .:,„.,...  -nl.-.  .■  pl.n, 
-^lAay.oll.n,.      An,l,I..U.insof.n,.,u.,y    tu.™^ 

l;,,.,,,  ,l„.  ol,l   .....vaM   rout...   l.y   ul:n-h   t    .   AnUW.u   <,t    tho 
.,.,st    |,n,nv,i   .i(.wn    upni.   th.'  <-liil.l>v"   ot    Isni.-l. 

stiU    (louil..    founta,,..   ...n..   rallying  to   ";";;--;.;:;, 
r..,ll    th.-  iiiviuril.l-  :'.<)(>  .lualiii..!  as  war  .Iol's  h>    lai-p  n     m 

'\      ,.         L   fa>hi„n  with  th..ir  tc.u.u,.s    au<l  ovrwh.,,.,! 

,   M^l.:nit..  and   Anud..l.t,.s  altl,ou.h  t   jr   --  ;'-^   - 

,,.,,,,.,,s   for   ■nul.nu.l..     Farth.T  on  are  th-   '"."Y      .^'.       : 
.    ,nn.  rovalntvuf.I./r....l,  whHV  frmntW  wHuh.u  ot  h  . 

vo.r  .■.hu.-.    anrrn    .I....1h1.    that    h.wur.l    an,un^    won,.,, 

ri.i  o..t  with  har.i,  ..ov..to„s  .y..  „,„.,.  N ='"";;;-.;;';; 

ov.T  wl.-re  Mt.  (iiH-.  ^t.ll  -shows  th.  w....  J'---    ,    v  „ ' 
,o,.kv  si.l...     .\.am  sh..  loob.l  with  Wvvov  to  sr.  th.  n.uu 
1  •,.,,.„   i„    ,,is   .l.ariot    furiously   rush.,..   <iow,.    l.^o...   th.- 
:,,,,ta.,,sof(i.h.a.lt..,l.-liv..rh..,-toth,-..vo,,.W^ 
Th,-,v  i„  th.-  plaiu  li.s  th.-  ti,-st  hatth-tu-hl  ol  DaM.  .     tlo.t 
bv      h'       n    .s  hak..,.    :    -        >U.h..!    hov..ls   whe.v  the  wit.-h 

•,|;:,ortoUlSa,.l-st..a.i.Mort,..u-    wh.lYowa.-<    t^^ 
,is..    th.   hills   wh.-,-.   .lonatha..    was   la.d   low    hs      ''^  J  ,      , 
fin.s.  au.l  Saul   f.-ll  o..  his  swo.xl.  ,uuv„..   Dav.d  to  exdau... 

'•I  low  a,'.'  th.  iiiiuhtv  fallen '.  .,, 

F;     th.s,,..u,,.tof^lt.Tal.o,•.ahov,.th.spotwh.^^^^^^^ 

b  -r  was  b.set  with  his  ba.k  to  th.  ...ouutau,  wall.  l).l>or  • 
^,1  X  sta.-s  iu  th.ir  C.OU...S  ti.ht.n,  a.a.,.t  S..^.  and     . 

•  HH)  i,-o,.  .ha.-iots,  a..d  .sa,..-  h.'r  so,.,'  «»;-'7''  .^'^'^"'^^  '  J,  ,    ,t 

th..-e  o..  that  plain,  in  that  .olis.u.n  of  -.lad.atonal  .o.nha1>. 

;sLli...nwl....vth.o,,.hu.u.ount..d...n,..a,..,.shu.^ 

luis  Ik-,-,,  th.  football,  that  th.  last  p.t.h.-.l  t'^"\l''    '»     '"  .^  " 
'  d..s       .  fouuht.     -riH-r..  too.  the  last  hattl.  ol  all    th.  hn  ^ 
iLi,  b.two.„  th.  hosts  of  uood  and  evd,  .s  to  b.  i.u.     -    - 

,,u.t  of  th.  Plain  is  "th.  1'1=''•^^^^''•^\V■      ;  .      \...•il^•• 
on..,e  Arn.a,.ddon,"  that  is  the  "X  alloy  0^^'%^,  f    ^be 
Tl,..  villa.,  of   Nain,  a   w.-l.o.n.-  oasis  tor  the  sonl   n.  tl,^ 
,nidst"  of  all  that  waste  of  war,  squats  near  Lixe   iOvL  o.  --■ 


IMS   !•  II^ST   l;i:TKi:.\T 


l(i:{ 


T;ilK>r.  At  till'  si<rlit  ot'  tluil  pnor  litlif  Iiaiiilct.  the  mind 
turns  L'ladly  t'l-om  scm-s  tli.it  s|M;ik  i>\'  '2i)()  ^,'ciicniti()n.s  (•!' 
>l;iiii:htt'r,  I'rom  li.itc  to  lovr,  rrcitii  tli.'  t;ikiii-„'  of  life  to  the 
-iviu^r  of  life;  for  tlniT  in  tlir  L-atcs  of  Xiiiii,  Jesus  r.storid 
llie  widow's  son  .:rid  driid   tin*  widow's  tfars. 

As  one  ciitrrs  tli.'  v.ilf  of  Na/arrtli  from  the  war  tnHldcii 
plain,  the  m<ssa'jv  of  prai'c  wliidi  the  littl.-  town  si  nds  oi.t 
into  n  wairint:  world  holds  u  new  atid  d.-an'r  mranin'j-. 
\a/.urctli  itself  lii's  in  a  pntty  moiiniaiii  ravine,  with  s<'lio<)!s 
iiiid  orpli  uiaL'fS  and  liospitals,  the  ^'ifls  df  tlie  Christian 
world  to  the  hoyhood  vi|la'_'<>  of  Jistis.  looking'  fondly  down 
iiidii  it   from   the  suri'OiindinLr  hi'it'Ii.s. 

•  it  the  VirLrin's  Fountain,  the  only  water  suiipl\-  in  the 
town  now  as  in  the  olden  time,  the  beauty  of  tin'  udi'ls  and 
yoinii:  iimtliers,  who  come  to  fill  their  water  jul^s  evm  as 
Miiry  must  have  come,  is  really  striking,'.  To  that  fountain 
Napoleon  went  after  the  battle  of  Mt.  Tabor,  and  there  he 
'oci'ived  the  honuitje  of  the  people. 

Ill  the  monastery  of  the  Annuiieiat ion  lie  slept,  wlier,.,  tra- 
•litinnally,  .stoo.'  the  lioine  of  the  Holy  Family  where  'Mhe 
Werd  was  made  flesh."  There  the  visitor  is  eoiidueted  in  a 
eavi'inions  re'_don  to  the  marble  slab,  worn  smooth  by  pious 
lips,  wliere  the  anu'ei  paused  bid'ore  .Mary,  and  on  to  the 
''kitchen  of  the  X'irL'in."'  The  fathers  of  the  monastery  have 
trcastn-ed  throuirh  the  century  the  bed  and  room  where  the 
youiiir  wari-ior  rested,  amid  the  scenes  hallowed  by  the  youth 
•if  the  I'rince  of  Peace,  whose  sword  was  of  the  spirit  and 
uiiose  kiiiLfdom   was  not  of  this  world. 

When  .Xapoleon  returned  to  the  Lrate  of  .\ere  he  brouuht 
to  liis  besieLMUtr  lorces  the  news  of  victory  to  cheer  them  in 
tli'^ii^  forlorn  hope.  Uut  the  sun  of  a  Syrian  sununer  was 
bcatinj:  upon  them  in  tlu-  unshaded  plain  with  a  lire  more 
'icstnictivc  than  that  which  belched  from  the  walls  and  the 
''liip-s.  I'helippeaux  succumbed  to  its  burning'  rays.  struLT- 
S-'lin?  to  the  last,  to  settle  the  ob'  score  with  his  sclioolmat.' 
:  nt  the  Ecole  of  Paris.  The  u'd)r,ried  dead  la;  n  a  h-'ap 
a-ainst  the  stubborn  wall,  tlirci.teniti-  the  healths  ;  the  forces 
on  both  sides. 


104 


!X  TlIK   FOoTSTKI'S  OF   XArOLKON' 


One  il;i\'  ill  riii'ly  M;i\'  when  N'jipnlron  s:iw  a  lln-l  of  tliir1\ 
siiil  l)farii!u'  down  upon  Ai-i'f  with  tlioii'^anils  of  Tufkisli 
soliliri's  roiiiiiijj  to  till'  I'i'licf  of  lln-  town,  tlic  sic.L'^e  took  on  a 
spii'il  of  tlc'spcration.  In  a  \a<\  ■  ffort  to  (-aptiin'  the  plarr 
ht'foi'c  tlir  I'finfoi'i'iMnmls  anavrd,  the  Friiirli  tluiiLT  llicin- 
:s('lv('s  madly  at  tlif  walls,  and  witii  scaling'  laddiT^  carried  tlir 
Iricoloiif  fl.'ii,'  to  onr  of  the  towers. 

At  an  exposed  and  \ital  position  three  ot'lieei's  were  killiMl 
in  (piiek  sueei'ssion.  Anothei-  iinisl  <j:o  into  the  deadl.s  lireeeh. 
liut  Napoleon  liad  only  two  aides  left,  Lavelette  and  Fuirent' 
Heaulianiais.  Euiicne  was  filled  with  reckless  darin;^.  hut  Ins 
stepfather  had  seen  him  fall  once  when  stunned  hy  a  shell. 
TunnnL:-  to  i.avelette,  he  said:  "I  don't  want  to  send  this 
hoy  and  have  him  killed  so  yountr.  His  mother  has  entrusted 
liiiii  to  iiie.      ^'oii  know  what  life  is.     (io!" 

'I'lie  sun  was  s<'ttini,'  on  the  red  day,  when  the  Turkish  re- 
inforcements were  seen  rowinj:  ashore  in  their  small  hoats. 
The  sicL:'!'  had  come  to  its  last  sta'je  and  sevei-al  luindri'd 
Fi'ench  broke  into  the  town  where  tiiey  /oufrlit  th.eir  way  to 
the  irarden  of  De.jezzar.  There  they  looked  upon  the  walls 
of  "the  l>ntchei-"s"'  harem,  the  ])rison  house  of  his  oitrhteiMi 
white  wives;  hut  in  a  few  minutes  tln'  hrave  men  in  the  pir- 
den  wel'e   headless  corpses. 

This  wild  char<j;e  was  led  hy  (ieiieral  Lannes,  who  w:is 
lii'ouiiiit  to  the  eai'th  hy  a  shot  ihromzh  his  neck.  A  company 
of  his  soldiers  bore  him  hack-  to  safety,  but  wit!:  a  wound  tluit 
caused  him  to  carr\"  his  head  to  one  side  the  rest  of  his  days. 

Fur  twenty-five  hours  the  ti'.:htin<,'  lasted.  In  the  last  at- 
tack, when  the  speai'heads  on  the  standai'ds  of  France  aiiil 
Turkey  were  locked,  \ai)oleon  stood  with  Arri^xhi  by  his  side 
until  a  shell  surpt  down  his  fellow  Corsican.  With  anxious 
eyes  he  was  watchiiiir  Kleber's  ^reat  shock  of  bushy  hair  in 
the  thick  of  tiie  hand  to-hand  combat,  and  listening;  to  liis 
tremendous  voice  as  it  rose  above  the  barbarous  yeUs  of  a 
thousand    newly   landed  janissaries. 

S(K)i!  Napoleon  saw  Kleb  •!'  stop.  The  Fi.'Uch  eolunui 
ee.  'd  to  move  forward.  It  paused  a  moment,  and  then  re- 
couid   in  a   wild  rout   bid'ore  the  victorious  Turks. 


TTI^;  FIRST  IM-rrKHAT 


105 


Tlio  new  Alrxaiidri-  hail  lost  tlie  iiiiiuc,'  of  tin'  casl.  A 
little  town,  "that  iiii.Sfialilr  inudlioli'.""  as  he  callrd  it,  liad 
harrcii  Xapoli'mi's  path  to  tlir  coiKjiicst  of  the  OricMt.  All 
his  life  hr  iiiui'iiiinrd,  "1  missed  my  fortune  at  St.  Jeau 
d'Acre" — "the  ^'rain  of  sand  that  iiiniiil  me." 

Foldiiit:  his  tent  like  the  Arab  he  silently  stole  as'ay  in 
the  niiiht.  [^)iit  a  messentzei-  from  the  exultant  Sidn.-v  Smith 
overtook  liin}  with  this  tanutin-  Ittter:  "Could  you  have 
thouiiht  that  the  poor  prisoner  in  the  temple,  an  unfortu- 
nate for  whom  you  refused  even  foi'  a  moment  to  uive  your- 
self any  eoncern,  would  eompel  you  in  the  midst  of  the  sand 
of  Syria  to  i-aise  the  siejie  of  a  miserable,  almost  defenceless, 
townf  At  the  same  time  the  T.ritish  .sailor  was  boastinj; 
in  his  report  to  London  that  '•the  plain  of  Nazareth  i.s  the 
boiuidary  of  Bonaparte's  extraoi-dinary  eari'er. " 

Knteriny-  the  ironelad  r;ate  of  Xazaitth  tlirouuli  the  double 
Willis  of  the  town  of  Acre,  one  encounters,  to-day,  nothin;^ 
more  warlike  than  a  drove  of  camels  with  a  few  bcwyrintr  lepers 
iiiid  cripples  in  the  vestibule  of  the  town.  The  way  to  tin; 
raiuparts  is  through  a  maze  of  stone  and  throut^h  narrow, 
twicted,  vaulted,  but  surprisiu'rly  clean,  old  streets,  baziir 
lined. 

Looking'  .seaward  from  the  ramparts  not  a  ship  is  to  be  seen 
iu  port.  For  when  the  .Moslems  in  their  faiuitieal  fi'enzy 
tore  down  the  preat  city  of  the  Ci-nsaders  tlie\-  tilled  tin 
cieiit  iiarbour  with  the  ruins,  and  now  Haifa  has  all  tlie 
inerce  of  the  region.. 

Acre  is  only  a  petriMed  town,  with  a  poinilation  perliaps 
of  12.000.  all  fast  asl.'ep,  but  still  talking-  a  L'ood  deal  in 
their  sleep,  Down  at  a  corntM-  of  the  wall  rises  the  light- 
house on  th,'  foundations  of  the  i'hilistine  temple  of  Heelze- 
liui).  On  the  opposite  wall  the  '''our  Maudite  was  liuilt  witli 
Jnda.s'  thirty  pieces  of  silver!  Jut  De.jezzar's  tower  is  the 
loftie.st  of  all  in  Acre.  It  is  th'  minar-t  of  the  mosipu^  whi  di 
that  [)ious  old  l)ut(dier  reared  to  .\!!ah  on  lines  of  his  own 
dcsiuninii',  an.i  it  nnist  in  fairness  be  admitted  that  he  was  as 
clever  an  architect  a'^  ever  eut  a  throat. 

There  is  to  be  seen  from  the  roof  of  the  monastery  of  the 


'  an- 
com- 


1U(J 


I\  Till-:  FOOTSTKI'S  OF  NAl'OLHOX 


Franciscan  fatlicrs,  a  pretty  iiaiion'ma — iiicliitliiiL'  the  Mount 
ot'  Kicli;ii-il  ('(cur  <lc  Lion  ami  Napolcdii 's  licaiii|iiai'tcr,'s  ')iii 
ill    I  )c.ic//ar".s  country    \ilhi.      In    a    nionastci'v    of    the   (ircck 


aiti 


IS  a    I'ai't 


nionmnrii 


t    of  the    \, 


ii>oie()nic   sU'L'e 


It    IS  a 


nietnorial  tahlel  to  that  .Major  nhliid,!  of  tiie  British  mai'in. 
whose  daring-  charuvs  in  the  sorties  against  tlie  Freticli  moved 
XapoleoTi  to  a'  liration  and  at  last  to  bury  him  with  full  niili- 
tai'y   honours,  as  th.'   insci'iption  ciuly  records. 

There  are  few  C'hr'istian.s  in  .\ei'e  and  it  is  said  that  even 
these  do  not  venture  to  show  themselves  in  the  streets  at  the 
season  of  Ramadan.  Touiists  are  a  rarity,  there  l)eini:'  no 
hotel  ami  nothin-'  hu*  a  vast,  cheerless  eastei'n  caravan.sarv-, 
a  khan. 

Hut  the  .Sultan  has  a  lart;e  and  crowded  boai'dinu  house  at 
Acre  for  the  special  aecornmodatioi!  of  thase  who  disturb  the 
repose  of  the  Sublune  I'orte.  This  is  a  stockade  rather  th.m 
a  prison,  and  behind  it  may  be  seen  an  array  of  picturesc|Ue 
conspirators  as  terrible  lookinir  as  any  operatic  stage  ever 
presents. 

Far  up  the  side  of  Mt.  Carmel.  at  tlie  otlier  side  of  die 
bay  of  Acre,  is  the  bi<:  Carmelite  monastei-y  which  sei'ved  N'a- 
]K)leon  as  a  military  hosiiital.  When  he  veti'eated,  he  left 
under  i;uard  at  the  monastery  all  \vlio  were  too  sick  to  accom- 
pany his  army  on  its  lonjr.  hard  march.  Aecording-  to  a 
local  le-eiid.  thi'se  numbei'ed  2000  and  all  were  massacred  by 
J)e.ie/zar.  But  by  the  recoi'ds  of  history  only  a  few  soldiers 
really  were  left  there. 

The  Carmelites  today  are  a  little  Christian  liarrison  in  tlie 
land  of  islam.  In  the  course  of  the  centiu'ies.  they  have  seen 
their  home  destroyed  seven  or  eiuht  times  by  the  foes  of  the 
cross.  The  silent,  cloistered  precincts,  teimnted  now  by  only 
twenty-one  monks,  seem  lik(>  the  deserted  halls  of  a  bij;  sum- 
mer hotel  out  of  season.  The  monastery  was  long  elased  to 
the  monks  after  Napoleon's  retreat.  When  more  than  thirty 
years  .ifter  the  slaimhter  of  the  helpless,  they  wei-e  permittcil 
to  retuiii.  they  •ratliered  and  deposited  in  a  cave,  the  bones  of 
the  dead.  Afterward  the  remains  of  the  poor  boys  of  France 
found  their  last  resting  place  in  the  prett\-  garden  before  the 


•  -f 


HIS  FIRST  RKTREAT 


107 


monn.st,.ry.  a,v]  th.  sailors  of  ■,  pn.ssi,,,.  Fr,.,,,.},  wnrshin 
-m-tocl  a  .u..,uonal  sto,,..  with  an  iron  .ross  an.onj,^  the  pain  s 
111    'thr  vin.'.van]  ot  (Jod." 

\ai^ok.on-.s  4()(.-„,i],.  relr.at  from  Aoro  down  the  Syrian 
ooasf,  across  Ihr  plains  of  I'ah-stin.-  an<]  the  .Irsrrt  of  Fl  Tih 
ui:i  tmpH.  siunmer.  was  an  antiripatinn  in  nnniatur..  of  thJ 
^■tn.at  iron,  Moscw.  It  was  the  last  ti.ne  he  wa.s  .lestine.l 
to  turn  his  l,a,.k  to  im  en..my  until  his  flight  over  another 
(ies..rt  a  desert  of  snow  in  a  Russian  wint,.r!  In  t  at  tirst 
'vtreat  he  lost  the  empire  of  the  east,  in  the  seeond  he  was 
to  lose  the  empire  of  the  west. 

•'.-  Ids  return  mandi  to   Kuypt  he  ordered  all  the  liorse.s  to 

e  .nvn  over  to  the  siek  and  wounded.     A  stri,.|<..n  grenadier 

1-stated  lest  he  mmht  soil  a  hand.some  sa.idle,  hut  the  ^fen- 

;''"l  ni-elnef  said.  •■.Mount  I     There  is  nothintr  too  irood  for  a 

brave   sol.her.        An    ordnane,.    ,„an    in.p.innu-    wl,i,-h    horse 

."  (■ommander  wLslu.!  to  reserve  for  hims.lf.   Napoleon   re- 

!h-st'of'!dl."  ^''"  '''''^''  "^^'■^•■^'  '""^  '''''■■  "^:^--'f 

The  fields  were  fin-d  to  etit  olV  pursuers,  hut  a  f.w  Svrians 

^^■\    the   Arahs   of   Samaria   lurkin-   behind    the   stone's       ..i 

"shos  on  the  hillsides  peppered  the  tleein.^  Freneh.     Stun^r 

'.V  that  bushwhaekin.r  to  an  exasperat.-l  and   mutinous  teii^ 

;;;•;:;"' "";'", ';"'"''  ''"■  ^•''"^■""'^-  -^'  ''HnKunty  toward 

1-u   siek  an.     help h-ss  eomrades,  and  auj^ry   murmurs  arase 
aL'iunst  them  tor  ddayin-  the  ivtivat. 

Armvdat  Jaffa    many  of  the  ..,rrison  that  Xapoleon  had 
I'tt  there  ,„  his  advance  on  Aere  were  found  in  the  hospital 
some    with    "the    p,a.ue.-     Those    who    were    not     ph'n;;: 

r    't'"'    ''■■'"'^•-^;'-'-'^-'^"    i"    tl'<'    P-vsem-e    of    ,h..    hi.leous 
'".'I'Hlv.      lo  arouse  them  from  their  despair.  .Xapoleon  went 

i'-nong  them  ami  there  is  a  disputed  story  of  his  touehin.  a 
Pa.ue  patient^  to  inspire  the  eoura^re  of  the  t.rrdied  inmates 
01  the  hos{)ital. 

-"i'Htunales  as   he  nmved   alollu^     -Let   all   tho.s..   who   have 


i'^  streniith  rise  and  come  with  us.     '1 


lii-y  shall  he  carried  on 


'tters  and   horses.'"     All    but   about    fifty,    perhaps   all    but 


los 


l\   'I'lll':    !•'<>(  )TS'|'|'  >y  XAI'OI.KOX 


fui'iity-five,  stni'jLiIrd  u|i  .nid  swollt'd  tln'  inniihiTs  of  tlu' 
lii'lpli'ss  tliiit   w.'iv  ;iliT;i(i\    liurdciiiii!.'-  tlu'  rftrcatiii^-  foliimn. 

.\:i|i()lc()n  \v,is  clijifunl  ii)!'  ii  loiiu'  tiiiif  witli  liiiviiii,'  ;i(l(ipl>il 
fill'  iiiiiiciiil(  (»r  riithaiiiisiii  towiinl  tliose  who  wciv  too  f<H'lili' 
to  I'isi'  rroiii  tiicii'  ImmIs  and  {ii*coiii|iaiiy  him,  and  of  liaviiiL' 
directed  the  apotliccai'v  to  adiiiinistrr  lo  tliciii  a  fatal  dose  of 
laiidaniui;.  liouiTicniic  says  In-  did.  liuT  Mariuoiit,  Aiidrc- 
ossi,  and  ctlicr  witnesses  te>li fy  that  lie  did  not.  Sidney 
Smith  liim.self  tells  of  liiidiim  the  Freneh  siek  still  alive  tluve 
days  after  the  army  left  .lalFa.  The  weiizht  of  .judLiiiieiit  now 
is  thai  XiiiKileiin  !T>ti'aiiied  the  instineli\i'  pi'omiitiniis  of 
natui'e,  and,  ^oservini;  the  seiaiples  oi'  our  eivilisation,  did 
nothiiiL;-  to  liast<>n  the  end  of  that  little  hand  of  soldiei's,  hut 
left  lliein  to  the  toi'liii'es  of  iheii'  di>ease  and  the  torture.s  of 
their  fears  in  the  pest    hospital  al   .lall'a. 

J-'or  nine  hot  summer  days  the  army  earrii^d  its  siek  and 
wounded  over  the  do'Tt  into  Kjrypt.  The  mirau'e.  that 
eiuel  trick  of  nature,  lured  the  >oldiers  to  eoolinu  waters  tli.ii 
vanished  at  their  approach.  .Maddened  liy  heat  and  tliiiNt, 
some  threw  down  the  litters  of  the  siek,  and  killed  themselves 
hefore   the   eyes   of   .Xapoleon. 

Vet,  with  tlaiis  Hyiu'^'  and  hands  playiiiL'  the  sadly  redneed 
.\rmy  of  Syria,  as  if  in  triumiih.  entered  the  I'.ah  e|  Xasii', 
"the  Liate  of  victory, ""  ai  Cairo.  "I  have  ra/ed  thi'  [lalace  of 
De.jezzar  and  the  ramparts  of  .\cre."'  Xai)oIeon  proi^laiiiicil 
to  the  Etryptians:  "not  a  stone  remains  upon  another." 
Bonrrienne  looked  iiji  in  ama/ement  as  Ids  idiief  dictated  that 
Imlletin.  hut  only  to  be  ehideil  for  his  itiL'einiousness:  "My 
dear  fellow,  nou  are  a  .simpleton.  Voii  do  not  undiTstaiid 
this   Inisiness. 

In  a  month  the  |)ursiiin<r  Turks  were  upon  him  to  ehallenL'e 
even  his  refuue  in  Kjrypt  from  the  disaster  in  Syria.  .\ 
British  fleet  proti'cted  the  lainlinu'  of  a  lanie  Turkish  army 
on  the  sandy  promontory  of  .\lioukir  where  the  French,  by  a 
rapid  movement,  eaujiht  them  and  penned  them  up.  Of  tla' 
15,000  Tur!<s  who  entered  the  battle  there.  IHIOO  are  said  to 
have  found  their  graves  in  the  sands  or  in  the  waters.     Abou- 


ins  FIKST   iJKTRKAT 


109 


till'  virtoiy   served    ti)  eclipse  tlu 


kii'  li;i(l   aveiiL'eil   Aei'e,  and 
n  treat  tVoiii  Syt'ia. 

While  iiiakiiiLr  some  arraiiLieiiieiits  with  Sidney  Smith  iin- 
!-r  a  llae'  of  truce  after  the  hattlo,  .\ai)oh'on  sent  him  a  chest 
(it  cotiVe  and  a  case  of  brandy.  In  return  for  these  ^'ifts, 
Smith  sent  him  a  hatch  of  Kuropean  newspapers,  only  six 
u-.M'ks  old.  "Heavens."  Napoleon  exclaimed,  as  he  i-ead  one 
<il'  the  papers,  ''the  fools  have  hist  Italy.  All  the  fruits  of 
our  victories  are  uone.      I  must   leave   l-i-ypt." 

The  ti'uth  is  he  had  wislu'd  to  leave  ever  siiici'  he  came. 
Krdiii  tl;e  day  Nelson  sank  the  French  fleet  he  had  been  no 
more  than  a  i)risoner  in  a  desert.  Tlie  bad  iiew.s  from  home 
iiiily  (letei'niined  him  to  hasten  liis  lonir  meditated  attempt  to 
make  a  wild  d;sh  to  Fi'anee  and  to  liis  destiny. 

Foolin<,'  Sini.h  and  his  scouts,  he  stole  alioai'd  a  vessel  in 
tlic  ni-ht  a.,  she  lay  oil'  a  lonely  desert  shore.  With  r)00  men 
;inil  a  W'w  jiieees  of  artillery  on  four  fiiuates.  and  with  less 
than  !j(:{r)()0  in  his  chest,  he  set  sail.  The  Aimy  df  F-ypt  was 
left  under  tlie  command  of  Kleber  and  ahanddncd  to  its  in- 
'•vitahle  doom. 

>nire  .Napoleon  could  not  be  an  .\le\ander  in  the  east  he 
iniu'lit  yet  be  a  (Tiarlemairne  in  the  west — if  fortune  did  not  be- 
tray him  as  he  (iodj,'ed  throueji  a  British  blockade  of  the 
Mr  literranean  so  close  that  a  letter  seldom  passed.  For  six 
Weeks  he  was  the  sport  of  the  winds  and  was  fairly  blown 
into  the  harbour  of  Ajaccio.  I^ut  A.jaccio  was  no  lonirer  the 
port  of  his  dreams  and  liis  ambitions.  At  the  first  favourinjz 
hreeze  he  sailed  away,  never  aL'ain  to  smell  the  scented  fields 
of  his  youth  or  look  on  his  native  mouutains. 


CII  M'TKIJ  XTV 
iUi.Ki;  (»i-  fi;an(1-: 

ITUy-ltSUU      AUK   3u 

a'^FTE  people  of  til,,  i.ivtts-  little  port  of  FiTJiis  on  tl'.^' 
.MeditelT.inelin  l,'i\  !r|';|.  si\t\  l:iilrs  e;|>t  (,|'  'roilliMI. 
■  ;iu()ke  (if  iin  ()rtnliii'  iiKiniiiiL;  in  tiie  yeai'  ITHH  to  tin' 
astoiiisiiiiiLi'  iiews  thai  Xaiiojroii  was  eiit>  riii-  tiieir  luu'liour. 
All  l-'faiiee  sii|i|i(isfi|  him  to  he  penned  np  in  Ks^n  pt.  IJut  ln' 
li:el  i[iaile  a  safe  I'un  ol'  nearly  lil'ty  ilays  ihroiiuli  the  Ufitish 
l)loek;i(li'.  "Had  lie  fallen  t'nmi  heasni."'  Sa\ai'\-  Tells  us, 
■'Ills  appeai'anec  would  nut  lia\e  ei'eated  inoi-e  siirpi'i>e  and 
eiitliusiasni. "" 

Napoleon  himself  did  not  dnam  of  the  fr.'n/ied  weleoiiie 
that  awaited  him.  ( »n  the  .-om  I'ai'.w  he  was  feai'fiil  of  a  Ioiil' 
detention  in  qnarantiin'.  When  the  towns]ieop|c,  fi'antie  with 
joy,  swai'nied  out  in  boats  and  snn'ound<'(l  his  ship,  his  coin- 
[taniuns  shouted  a  wai-niiiir  to  keep  at  a  safe  distance  as  tln' 
vessel  had  come  ffom  the  plamie-infeeted  Orirnt.  But  the 
people  I'oat'ed,  --W,'  pivf.-r  the  idauue  to  the  Austrians." 
i-'oi'  while  Xapoleon  had  hei'u  ahscnt.  the  e()n(piefinLr  soldief< 
of  Austria  luni  ohiiterated  his  victories  in  Italy,  and  the  iii- 
hahitants  of  southern  France  were  in  terror  of  an  invasion  by 
1  he  w  hite  coats. 

As  with  the  jiopulation  of  Fre.jns.  so  it  was  with  the  French 
people  as  a  whole.  They  preferred  an\-  e\ils  Napoleon  niii^lit 
lirin-'  to  the  ■■vils  already  upon  them.  Ili.s  .jourin'v  from 
Fre.ius  was  a  triuiiijihaiit  pro.urcss.  Fverywhere  alonu'  his 
drive  of  0(H)  miles  Nap.oleon  was  haih^l  as  the  reseller  of  the 

K'epilhlic. 

J-:ver.\-  tow-n  throuLih  which  Ih'  passed  uave  him  an  entlnisi- 

110 


ol 


KILi:i;  Ol-   FK.WCi: 


11 


astic  iTcrptioii,  liiit  lion.',  wr  iii;)\-  !)!■  siuv.  loiiclicil  the  sniiic 
.■motions  iis  N'alcncr  when  sin-  wcl.'Dnicd  ii.ici.  thf  iiirl;in.-li(ily. 
.•iliiKist  Miiciiiul  snii  licutrniint.  wIhi  duly  ;i  t'rw  ynii's  lirtui'v 
Iki'I  lijiunlnl  \\i-v  |;in,s  ;inil  i^iinvls.  At  tin-  -..f  of  tlir  town 
li-  UM.s  i^ivctcd  liy  .Mil,..  i;,Mi.  an. I  li-r  f-.nn,  ,■  i,„|-ri'  vavc 
...ran  Indi.-in  .sli.awl  .-hkI  a  silwr  cninpa-s.  Vur  this  lavoiii-iic 
i)t'  t'ortunr  rv,T  ivtaincl  at  least  onr  siniiij.'  ipiality.  a  ivcol- 
Icction  of  all  who  toiiclir,!  his  lit',,  in  its  |, lain. t"  days  and 
ii(l.'sirc  tu  di'aw  th.Mn  alt.T  him  as  he  sped  up  the  lieiehts 
of  fame. 

Niipoh'oii  had  hastened  from  K-ypt  with  an  ambition  to  lie 
til.'  saviouf  of  the  eountry  from  nnlit;ii'.\  disastei\s  in  lial\. 
II''  ivally  iiad  no  idea  that  the  time  had  ah',  ady  com.'  foi- 
iiiin  to  take  iiis  place  in  f'ranee.  no  idea  that  already  •'tli.' 
i"-:ir  was  I'ip..,"'  as  he  lia.l  bee,,  in  the  habit  of  savinu'  whil.. 
mnsiiie-  ,„,  the  future.  l!ut  h.^  found  he  had  now  only  to 
<li:ike  l!ie  tree  to  hiimj  down   the    fruit. 

France  was  not  fearin..:-  foreii:n  aianies  so  nni.di  as  the 
plettine  fa(tions  at  home,  who  forever  k.^pt  th..  .-ountrv  b,'- 
tuc'ii  the  two  horns  of  the  dibMnma.  tli.^  return  of  the  I'i.iur- 
I'oiis  or  the  return  of  tlm  Terror.  The  day  Napoleon  arriw.l 
::■  i'.ins  nearly  evei'v  plotter  be^an  an  attempt  to  draw  him 
'"to  1/s  own  particular  plot.  11,.  ,lid  not  haw  to  conspire. 
He  had  only  to  elioos,.  amoii-  the  conspiracies  aliva.lv  hatched 
Iiebire  he  lainb'd  on  th,'  s!io:v  of  France. 

_  In  th,.  cn.l  he  s,.l,ct,d  tii,.  Sieyes  brand  of  revolution. 
I  Ills  former  cleric  was  a  member  of  the  Dir.'ctorv  of  five 
i'iyml>ers.  which  b.dd  lb,.  exc,.utiv,-  pow.r,  whih'  the  ,-ouncil 
ot  aiici,.nts  and  tlm  council  of  th,.  fiv,.  hundivd  form,.d  tli.- 
"I'l'cr  an,l  lower  hou.ses  of  the  le.tiislative  l.o.lv.  The  Siev.'.s 
plot  calleil  for  the  as.semblin-  of  tlios,.  two  lioiis,.s  in  an  ex- 
traordinary session  at  an  .arly  hour  in  th,'  morninc.  b,.fore 
tlK'  city  shonld  be  astir.  Tli,.  anci,.nts.  wbos,.  h-ad.'rs  w,.re 
tMv,>nrable  to  a  chan<,'.',  were  to  declare  that  Paris  was  in  dan- 

r  ol  a  Terrorist  ujUMsinjr,  appoint  Xapoleon  to  the  com- 
""m<l  <'f  th,.  ndlitary  fo'v,.s  for  th,.  prot,-,-tion  of  the  capital 
"ii'l  ad.iourn  th,.  leuislativ,>  s.'ssions  to  tlm  (uiiet  ;iud  s,.,.uritv 
*'l  St.  Cloud. 


"-         IN  Tiir:  I'oo'rsTKi's  ok  xai'oijiox 


111    tllr    irlidsf    of    tllr    liiltlic    flills    t'oiilrllfnl 


Sli'\-( 


ow-(  ()iis[iir;it(>r    in    the    Dirrcidr 


.'111(1    :i    I'rl 


>    Were   to   n 


iii.'iimiiir  direct 


or.s  uci-c  to  li 


Ml   ami    tl.r   !■( 


tilr    I 


n-lilriicil   into   I'l'tii'iiiLr, 


i-jisliitiifi'  at  St.  Clonil 


;i^    to   he    lia>ti'||''il    illl 


Willi 

o  cstalilisi 


iiiiT  a   iiru    <^ii\cniiiiciit    uilh   a   in 


posed    to    handle    tl 


\V    eoilstltlltion.       SieV( 


ie    [lolitirians    and    leave    to    X; 


pro- 


"■oiitiol    ,,r   the    army    oflieeis,    who    natiirallv    rallied 


poleoli     tl 


iiiiii    111    iiminestionint:  lo\altv   when   t 


aromiil 


to   act. 


ley  saw   him  (irepai'iii: 


.ike  everythiiicr  with   which   Napoleon   had  to  do,  tl 


lution   moved  accord 

hi.s  trust 

i^i. 


01 


le   reVD- 

iiiL:    t.     a    iiii'cly    arraiej-ed   schedule.      .Ml 

iip;ii'i"ii^    ill  iirms  -alhered  at    his  house   in  the 

'•   '!'•   la    \'ietoiiv   at    six   o-clock    on   a    Xovemher   mornin.- 

when  the  -eneral   in  ,•..1,1 rd  of  t -ity,  a   most   vital   per- 

s(.pace,  hurst  in  with  a  deniaiul  to  he  inlonned  what  it  was 
•'II  .•'I'-Nt.  This  was  l,..fehre.  the  hnsi,and  of  the  former 
_laundres.s.  the  .Mmc,  Sans  (iene  of  the  .stauv  and  the  iiovd 
liat  ex-seruean1  was  too  liot-liea,h.d  a  repul.licun  to  have 
'"■'■'1  approached  in  eolii  blood  and  told  the  s.'cret  in  advance. 
••Lelehre.'-  cried  .Xapoleoii,  "\ou,  one  of  the  piUar.s  of  the 
Kepuhlie,  will  you  leav..  it  to  perish  at  the  hands  of  the  huv- 
\vr.s?  Here  is  the  sword  I  woiv  at  the  I'vraiiiids;  I  give  it 
to  you  as  a   pled-c  of  my  eonlideiice." 

'  .'t  u.s  throw  the  lawyrs  into  the  river,"  roaird  the  fi.^nr 
repuhlicaii  as  he   fondled   his  new  tov. 

Tile  subtle  Sieyes  now  sent  word  "that  he  had  plaved  lii^ 
part  with  the  ancients,  whereupon  Xapoleon  jrallopeit  to  the 
liiileries  and  took  command.  Onee  more  Paris  .stood  in  the 
presence  ol   the  "man  on  hor.sebaek." 

In  aceordanee  witli  tlie  i)lans,  the  Ictrisjativo  bodies  mot 
the  next  mornin-  out  at  St.  Cloud  in  the  .suburban  pahur 
of  tlie  old  kings,  where  Xapoleon  anxiously  waited  in  a  near-bv 
apartnh-nt  tor  the  .sch.Mlule  of  the  revolution  to  be  observe.i. 
Witli  the  slow  hours  of  delay,  h."  en^w  inereasindv  impatient 
and  an-jry.  It  was  his  tirst  exjierienee  with  a  leuislativi' 
body  that  pretended  to  any  independeneo  of  his  own  will. 
Faiily  beside  him.self  at  last,  he  rushed  into  the  eoun.il 
ol  the  tive  hundivd.     This  body  was  not  in  the  ulot  and  the 


KILKK'  OF   FRANCE 


113 


ML'lit  of  til.'  .snl.li.Ts  a.'coMipi.riyiiiL'  tlir  ynuri-  ^nirnil  i„- 
fiinafci  the  n'(l--()\Mi..(l  coininl.  N,,,-  woul,!  if  l„.  still.Hl  hv 
I-  I'rrM.lrnt.  I.ucicii  M()n;i(.iirl.',  wh,,.  ;,.s  ;,  compliment  lo  liis 
lirothci-.  had  bcrii  elected  to  ihe  cliaii-. 

(•ouiiriilors  rushed  upon  Napoleon  and  Lrrahhin.r  the  in- 
v.i.l.r  of  tlh.ir  san,.tuary  by  the  .-ollar  of  his  -rev^coat  an,! 
'l.iiouncin-  him  as  a  traitor  an.!  .jntator.  th.'v  shi.ok  hi,n  as 
M  -lo.'  shakes  a  rat.  Althouuh  history  doubts  if  anv  weapon 
u.is  (h^awn  on  him.  .Napoh'on  cried  in  the  mi. 1st  of  "the  noisy 
""■'■'■■  "Th.^y  mean  to  assassinate  m.-."  ThenMipr.n  th'e 
srod  ot  wa-  fell  like  a  faintin-  woman  into  the  arms  of  his 
L'reiiadiers. 

■•<'ntlaw  him!  Outlaw  bin  '••  The  emineil  hall  resoun.led 
uii  1  that  sin.ster  ,-ry,  whicli  had  sent  manv  a  man  to  the 
L'liillotnie.  "Ilors  la  loi!      Ilorslaloi!" 

\.ipnh-on  -athered  iiis  wits  as  he  defrmined  no  loix-er 
to  waste  his  time  in  wonis  but  to  return  to  his  native 
'•'•"-'lit.  111.,  -renadiers  under  Murat  and  Leelere  wore  or- 
';'■■•''  /"•;'••="■  ""■  l'"ll  of  the  five  hundred.  Forward' 
•\l;irch.  Ihe  drums  rolle.l  as  the  soldiers  entered  .\„d  the 
'""■..■ill.rs.  crying  "Vive  la  Republi.pie.-  .j,nnped  out  the 
uiiidows. 

The  Republic  was  no  more:  it  had  jumped  out  the  win. low 

With  a  m.'re  fra-ment  of  the  broken  up  five  hundred    onlv 

t  nrtv      ..mb.-r.s,  Lucien  opened  a  new  s.ssion  at  nin.-  o\'loek  in 

file    ev.ninu'.     -M.'asures    were    quickly    concrl...!    with    the 

'."■"i'laisant     ancient.s,     wher..by    the    old     Lrov.-rnment     was 

onnally  done   to  death   an.l   a   provisional   (V.ns,ilate  of  the 

hree  conspirators,  Sieyes,  Du.-os  and  lionaparte.  wa.s  estab- 

iislied. 

Tlu'  scene  of  that  m.Miiorable  but  bloodless  revolution  re- 
"■Ji'Ms  on<.  of  the  favour,.,!  sij^hts  of  tlm  environs  of  Paris 
.  "•  ^:;n-ace  of  .St.  Clond  looks  ,iown  upon  the  Seine,  .shining 
ike  silver  in  tn..  sun.  Over  back  (,f  a  hill  whi.-h  th,.  horizon 
"^'icus.  hes  \ersailles.  where  the  (ireat  K'evolution  was  born 
'"  'li'-  t.nnis  .-ourt.  There  was  its  cradl..;  St.  C'lou.l  is  its 
-rave.     And   otf  against   the   h.MLdits  of   .Montmartre   ^listens 

Ihe   ilnini.    r>f    fj,.>    r i:  i        .         .      .   ■ 

■..:'-  iii..;:;;.;.,.     ,\   r,,^  ^iv^.    1  ori res.s  .stili  crowns 


114 


IN   Tin:    l"()(tTSTi:i'S  ol'   \.\!'mLI:((\ 


lli.'  tow.r'iipj   .Ml     \'ii 


rrirli. 


Vr. 


llCf     III     llir     !• 


Tiiiit   u.is  111,,   last  sli'oti'jliold 
i-iiiii-(.-l'MisM;iii    uar   ol'    l,s7,i  71       ■j'li,,   , 


ma  Ms    \\f 


01 

''■'' 
■'■'■   "'    •'^'     <'l<Hi.l.    ton.   aihl    thr    I'-rmrli    Willis  ,.ii    Mt 

^  ■'.''■'■"■"    '^''"'     <'"■    '-li.'itr.Mi     I.)    pi s.      An..,-    til.,    war.    i\. 

niiiir,!   ualls  wnv  torn   ,|,,\m,,  iml    „n,.  stoiir  iM.iiii:  Irft   up„ii 

'""•"'•■••.   .-HiW    MOW   thr   .jniNs   is   .,,vrii   ail, I    til,,   tl.mvrs   M„„„. 

whrrr  til,,  pala..,.  .W  tl„.   i;..iirl.o.is  m..l  thr  I{.,iiapi,rt...s  sto,,,! 
As   \ap„l,.,,ii   s.i/,.,|    th,.   iM.hii   „f  th,.  ship  „f  stat,.    h,.  ail 

noii.1,.,.,1   t,.    Fran,-,,  ami   th,.   w.irhl.  •■!   am    tli,.   H.^vnlutioi,  •■■ 

I"  truth,  hr  w;is  its  sot.  iiiaj  ii.-ir.  thr  s„|,.  h.,jatr..:  ()|,t  „( 
;ill  that  fotvst  of  pii<,.s  ,.atiir  Iijs  swonj  ajon,.;  out  of  that  halnl 
"'  ^'*'""'  "'"I  '■'"■y  "II'-  '•I'.ir,  r„mmaM,liM.^-  voi,.. ;  oi,  r  that 
"■I'lt'li"!''  "f  thoiiLihts  aM  I  p,irpns,.s  aihl  plans  oim  pow,.rli,l 
will;  out   „l   that  rra  of  ,l,vams  tlh.fc  issur,!  this  rraiity 

,  '"  ""■  '■•^■'■^  "'■   '•"'•■•'I •   th,.   lv'.v,,lution   ImhI   not  I ii  owr- 

tlirowii:  It  was,.|iil,.Hii,.,|  i,,  .\apoh.,„i.  With  a  s,.ns,.  of  p,.ar,. 
ami  (iisti,.,..  th,.  ..xhaiistril  nation  ivpos,.,!  in  liis  st.ou- arms 
Miithmu  Dumas  flls  us  that  l„.  'Mi,|  not  injutv  lih.Ttv  as 
>t  .li.l  tint  ,.Mst.  II,.  stran.h.,1  th,.  monst,.r  of  anarHiv"  ami 
savi'il    !■  ran,.,.." 

<'lia..s  vanish,.,!  !„.roiv  liis  frnwu.  Th,.  iiat,.ful  law  of  hos- 
ta-.'s  was  r,.p..al,.,i  an,i  l„.  wnt  in  [mtso,,  t,.  throw  op..ii  th.- 
I'nson  ,  nors  of  tim  trmi.l,..      lmpriM,i„.,i  or  l,a,iish..(l   pri.sts 

wlio  ha.i   taken  tli,.  r..puhli,.an  oalh.   r,.,.,.iv,.,l  thr   fr lom  of 

"'*■  '•""""•>••  I'h,.  national  srcuritirs  rose  from  twelve  to 
twenty   Irancs  in   live  days. 

The  mass,.s  and  th,.  classes  alike  m'.  leomed  the  advann' 
■•iput  of  prosp..rity.  The  hanks  trnstinudv  opened  their 
.strong;  lioxes  to  him.  and  an  imlividmil  eitiz.'U  •■ame  forward 
with  a  loati  of  .^lOO.OOO  to  a  ^'uvernment  that  had  larked  the 
money  to  pay  the  exp..ns(.s  of  a  ..ourier  to  its  armv  in  Italv. 

Ill  a  month  ,;„.,-,.  was  a  imw  eons' it  ution.  which  provhh'd 
that  Nai.oh.on  sliouid  1„.  First  Consul  for  ten  v..ars.  with  full 
»'xr,.utive  p(,w,.r  and  a  salary  of  .i<](l(),()(l()  u  y^ar  The  S..(.oiu! 
'i"<i;niii''l  Consuls  were  i,.ft  almost  as  powerh.ss  as  the  Vi,-,.-' 
{'ivsid..nt  of  th,.  rnit,.d  States,  and  w..re  r,tain,.,l  onlv  to  dis- 
guise the  one-man  despotism.  The  p,.opIe  continue,]  in  pes- 
Sfssion  ot  manhood  siiU'raw,  but  were  removed  os.  !:..-  -  t.-.-: 


l.N     IHl:    G.iijULl  .    i;v     liLLLA.NoK 


:lcl 
M)I1 

to  ( 
to  I 

'I 
ll'U'i 

a  II 
wh 
liiii 
tril 
Ice 

'1 
pro 
hat 
dm 
iu  : 
iils( 
tioi 

I 

fill: 

tivt 
■  rii 

'Oil 

\ist 
till! 
V..| 
roy 
sist 
per 

I  TO 
I>fO 

> 

of 
cio 

tlU' 

the 
bar 


inLKi:  OF  I'l.'ANCE 


ii: 


lilc    from    the    coiitnil 


III     llh 


i\i'i-niii''iii       'I' 


U'    ■> 


,(l()0,(l(10 


It  IV    Uti'i'    tn  choose   511(1, (too   per 


imii  of  votinj;  at.'*'  in  ilir  rom 

sons,  who   in    flll'Il,    W-Vr   to  cIkio-m.   ."(II.DOI)  ;i|I(1    liliallv    lllrV    WiTc 

to  clKtosr  r>()(HI.      l-'roiii  these  .')( II K)  iiotnlile^.  all  tile  ollices  were 
>  Im-  tiiloil. 

There  wece  to  lie  a  coiiiieil.  a  seiiafo,  a  tiilniiial'',  iind  a 
li'i^islature.     'i'lie   ('dusiiU    \m  r'e    to   appoiiit    tin'   eniincil    aini 

II    majority    of    selialofs,    after    whieh    these    lalt'f    were    theiii- 
Selvt'S     to     C'OniI)l»'te     the     enin|Misiti(in     of     the     si-na*e.      whieh, 

tiiially,  was  to  choose   from   the   noialiles  the  mrmliers  of  the 
trilniiiate    ami    the    h'LMsJatiire.     No   one    was    to    be    directly 

'till    liV    the    |ieo|i|e. 

Tile  c'ouiieil.  |iresi(ie<l  over  Iiy  tlie  First  Consul,  was  to 
|iro|iosc  all  laws  tn  the  trilniimte.  wlnre  tl  y  wei-e  to  lie  de- 
liatcd  and  tiieii  referred  to  the  leud^lalnre — "a  deaf  and 
(lumli  iussemhly"' — whieh  was  to  adopt  or  reject  tlie  j.niposals 
iu  silence,  after  which  the  laws  were  to  <^n  het'ore  th.'  senate. 
also  Ji  mute  liody,  wiiieli  liad  only  the  jiower  to  veto  le^risla- 
tioii. 

In  two  montlis  this  elahorato  scheme  of  Lrovermiieiit  was  in 
lull  operation,  and  in  less  than  three  weeks  after  tiie  Icjisla- 
tivi-  liodies  iiad  asseiiililed.  tlh'  judiciary  and  the  entire  liov- 
iiiinent  of  France  down  to  tlie  smallest  municipalil\-  weri- 
'eiii|)|ctely  reorLranised :  a  new  s\stem  of  taxation  was  de- 
mised and  the  ni'eat  Hank  of  h" ranee  e>talilislie(i.  At  the  same 
time  Napoleon  lirouuht  to  an  end  eiuht  years  of  civil  war  in 
\'eiideo  and  elsewhere  iu  iirittany  and  Normandy,  where  a 
royalist  and  Catholie  population  had  made  a  slidiliorn  re- 
sistance to  the  Hevolution  and  the  Kepiililic.  I'eace  and  pids- 
!"rity    Were    the    twin     lilessintrs    receixcd    liy     France    in    a 

'i'.dril  three  months.  Then  an  election  was  lield  and  the 
people  ratilied  the  new  constitution. 

Napoleon  and  -losepliine  installed  themselves  in  the  palace 
of  the  Lnxeiidionrtr  immediately  after  the  coup  d'etat  at  St. 
(-loud.  'I  lie  directors  had  lieen  liviiej-  in  that  palace  and  now 
the  Consuls  supplanted  them.  How  I'ew  were  tlie  years  sinee 
tile  Luxemhouru  had  been  tlie  prison  of  Josephine's  first  hus- 
•-i.i:u,  w!i(.u  It  ■.-.a-  •. ; vv. u-.-.,i  v.iiii  liic  viciiiLib  ui  liiL'  icrroi"  ana 


IIG 


IN  TIIK  FOOTSTKPS  OF  NAl'OLEON 


she  h Ts.'lf  was  a  prisoner  in  the  Carmelite  eonveut  a  liitle 

wav  (iovvii  the  street! 

But  the  TuihTies,  not  the  Luxembourg,  \va.s  the  palaee  c. 
the  kin.rs  It  was  not  from  hlU-  vanity  that  Xapoh'on  longred 
to  move  over  the  Seine  and  live  in  that  home  of  royalty. 
For  the  same  ].urposr  that  tlie  chief  of  a  provisional  crov.rn- 
nu.nt  in  the  I'nited  States  mi-ht  wish  to  oeeupy  the  Wlute 
House,  the  Fiir.t  Consul  (h'si-ed  to  i)ossess  hmiselt  of  the  tra- 
ilitional  seat  of  power  and  authority  in  France. 

Such  a  chan'-e  in  (luarters,  however,  mvM  awaken  the 
mob  that  he  himself  had  watched  seven  years  before  while  it 
drove  Louis  XVI  from  the  throne  of  his  .athers.  As  he  pon- 
dered the  .piestion.  the  news  came  of  the  death  of  Washiii- 
ton  He  sci/.ed  ui)on  the  event  to  .listract  the  attention  of  the 
n.publicans  from  his  .lespotic  .Icsi-ns.  Proclaiming  a  period 
of  niourniu"  and  holdin-'  a  memorial  festival,  he  evoked  the 
shade  of  the  immortal  friend  of  liberty  and  enemy  ot  tyrants 
as  a  screen  for  his  entrv  into  the  abidinir  place  of  the  Bour- 
bon nionarchs.  Thither  iie  drove  bchinvl  six  white  horses,  and 
wcarin-'  a  ma-niticent  sal)re,  -ifts  of  the  Emperor  ot  Ger- 
many, "as  he  passed  within  the  ^'ate  he  could  have  read  ou 
one  of  the  stone  posts  this  boast  of  tlie  Kepublic: 


The  mill  of  Au-ust.  1792, 

ROYALTY  I\  FHANCR 

IS  ABOLISH F.n  AND  SHALL 

NEVER  BE  RE-ESTABLISHED. 


He  permitted  the  siun  to  remain  on  the  ^'ate  post,  but  as 
he  walked  over  the  -reat  i)alace,  he  found  .some  liberty  caps 
painted  in  red  on  the  walls,  "(iet  -id  of  those  thm-s,  he 
nmnnand.d;  "I  do  not  like  to  se-  sucli  rubbish.  _ 

Tuniiie-  to  bis  se<'retary,  he  said:  "To  be  at  the  Tuilenos. 
Bourricnne,  is  not  all.  We  must  stay  here.  \Vho,  m  heaven  s 
name,  has  not  already  inhabited  this  place?     RutHans,  ecu- 


^ 


RULER  OV  FRANCE 


ir 


v,nitinn;:listsl  But.  stop,  tlioro  is  your  uncle's  shop.  Was 
11  iiiit  from  tliose  wiiuiows  I  saw  the  Tuile'-ies  besii'tred  and 
tli.-  uooil  Louis  XVI  cai'iied  olV  .'  Re  assured,  they  will  not 
lotiie  liere  a-rain!" 


CHAPTER  XV 

cia)ssiN(;  THH  ai.ps 

isuu    AGK  :iu 

^^^ITKRE  is  a  littlo  cottaeo  at  Bmv\x  ^\.  Piorro,  the  tiny 

I       Swiss  liaiiilrt   thai   lies  dii  a  shelf  iiiori-  than  half-way 

■M.      up  the  snowy  side  of  tlic  (ii'cat  St.  lici'iianl.      Its  un- 

paiiitfd   walls   have   limi  .staiiu'd   by   wind  and  rain   a   dfcp. 

I'irh  brown  like  all   the  fist  of  tho  tifty  or  sixty  hal)itatit)us 

ill   that   rud<'  and   loiirly   Aljiiiic   villa^'i'. 

Vft  it  has  its  distiiiuiiishiiiu'  mark,  and  cwry  one  in  thi' 
])]acc  calls  it  "Tlir  House  with  Three  Windows."  But  tli>' 
villaurrs  have  found  that  for  some  reason  or  other  the 
.stran^'cr  is  more  inipi'rsM'd  if  they  point  it  out  as  "Tlii' 
llou.st    of  the    (iuide   of   Napoleon." 

St.  I'icrre  also  boasts  an  inn  with  a  si'jnifieant  name,  the 
Hotel  au  Dejeunei  de  .\apoleoii.  'riien-  tin  eiii'ious  traveller 
may  sit  in  tli"  vei'itable  ehair  and  at  the  veritable  table  of 
the  historie  lireakfast  and  listen  to  the  story  of  it  frov:  the 
lips  of  the  Lii'i'iuldanuhter  of  the  innkeeper  who  served  it,  un- 
til he  is  so  distracted  by  the  feast  of  memory  she  spreads  he- 
t'ore  him  he  can  nardiy  do  sinelc-minded  justice  to  her  wor- 
tliy  omelet  The  old  putures  of  tiie  irrandpai'ents  and  their 
immortal  <-;uest  haiieinjr  on  the  panelled  walls  and  the  china 
and  [lewter  accessories  of  that  dejeuner  lliJ  years  auo  are  a 
baiKpiet   in  themselves. 

.\s  the  uranddaii^hter  of  the  old  innkeeper  |)resides  now 
over  the  Ilotid  au  Dejeuner  de  .Xapoleon,  so  a  iri'andson  ot 
the  -iiiile  dv.ells  in  the  .Maison  du  (Iuide  de  Napoleon.  Te- 
L:ctlu'r  they  industriously  poli.sh  and  keep  shininu'  the 
meiuoi-v  of  the  izi'eat  little  man,  all   butt(.ned  up  to  the  chin 

lis 


('ROSSI  Xt;   Tin:   AIJ'S 


119 


in  ,1  IiIl'  ?:  v  o^'creoat.  wlio  rode  out  of  St.  Picrrf  on  n  niiilf 
iiiir  .M,iv  inofiiini,'  in  the  year  INOO,  a  Swiss  peasant  walking,' 
hrside  him. 

Thr  rider  was  tlie  First  Consul  of  France,  wlio  in  si.K 
iiKinths  had  restored  peace  at  home,  hut  liad  faih'd  to  ohtain 
jicace  ahroail.  As  it  is  said  of  a  man  who  takes  a  disputed 
land  title  that  "lie  has  bou^'ht  a  lawsuit."  so  Napoleon  in  as- 
suiiiiii<j:  cliarLTe  of  the  Fi'cneli  izovermuent  took  n|)on  iiiui- 
seif  an  irrepressible  conflii't  with  the  other  nations  of  Europe. 

Tlic  Revolution  had  hoisted  its  tricoloured  flair  on  tiie  castles 
of  r()n(iuered  lands,  and  it  was  not  for  him  to  haul  it  down, 
ti)  surrender  what  ti.e  French  had  purcliased  with  their  blood. 
Tllll^  the  .Napoleonic  wars,  in  their  early  sta^'es  at  least,  were 
\\\r  iuevitalile  se(iuence  of  the  wars  of  the  Revolution. 

Austria  liad  yielded  to  Napoleon  three  years  before,  but 
not  until  he  had  whipped  live  of  her  armies.  While  lie  was 
Intore  the  walls  of  the  far-away  town  of  Acre,  the  French 
a-iiliassadors  to  tlie  eon,L'ress  of  peace  at  Rastadt  were  mnr- 
'i'lvd  by  Austrians,  and  Austria  rushinix  into  a  new  war,  took 
t:-mn  France  al!  the  j:;round  he  had  won  for  her  in  Italy. 

Aidt  d  by  a  subsidy  from  (Jreat  Britain,  the  Austrians  were 
Iinparintr  now  to  invade  France  herself  and  dictate  terms  of 
["■ac.'  to  the  French  people  from  their  own  capital.  An  Aus- 
trian army  of  120,000  men  had  marched  across  (iei-many  and 
aniiuid  the  upper  end  of  the  lone  Al|)ine  wall  'vhich  defends 
tlif  aiiproaehes  to  France;  but  only  to  be  hurh-d  back  from 
the  iihine  to  the  Danube  by  a  great  French  army  under  Gon- 
ial Moreau. 

.\nothcr  Austrian  army  of  nearly  120,000  men  in  Italy, 
lniwi'vcr,  had  eau^'ht  a  little  French  force  under  (ieneral 
MassriKi  and  shut  it  up  within  the  walls  of  (ienoa.  Its  sur- 
I'iidcr  was  a  (luestioji  only  of  days.  Then  the  Austrians 
wiisild  he  free  to  nuircli  around  the  lower  end  of  the  .Mpine 
Wall,  whci'e  its  l)ase  is  washed  by  the  waters  of  the  Mediter- 
laiii'an.  ami  rwU-y  southern  France.  They  were  conlidcnt  of 
victory  and  all   Kurope  seemed  to  share  their  confidence. 

Napoleon  could  not  send  a  <rreat  army  aizainst  the  enemy  in 
It'ily  as  he  had  in  rjernianv.  because  the  Austrian  soldiers  and 


12(1 


IX  THE  FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLEON 


the  P)ritisli  ';iiiil)oats  to'^ctl 


path    aloiiff   tlu'   niouiitaiiioiis   shon 


lor  could  easily  (li-fctid  the  narrow 


App 


iiniitlv    there   w 


iiotliin^'  for  iiim  to  do  hut  wait  and  aeerpt  hattie  on  J< 


il.S 

retlcli 


soil.  11(.  eonlirnied  that  '^'cneral  view  oF  the  situation  hy 
noisily  proclainiiiit,'  tlic  forniation  of  the  Army  of  [Reserve  at 
Dijon,  ostensibly  for  the  purpose  of  nieetini,'  tin,'  invaders  in 
the  Valley  of  the  Klione. 

Hut  tliL'  spies  of  the  enemy  and  the  representatives  of  the 
foreign  press,  who  rushed  to  Dijon,  found  oidy  the  skeleton 
of  a  military  hody  there.  This  exposure  of  "his  feeble  re- 
.sourees  brouudit  n!)on  Napoleon  the  derisive  lar.<;iiter  of  the 
nations.  His  boa.sted  Army  of  the  Reserve  was  the  butt  of 
the  earieaturists  and  the  jest  of  London  and   Vienna. 

The  other  <:overnments,  however,  ditl  not  know  that  his  ex- 
traordinary success  in  hastily  patchiim-  up  a  peace  with  the 
revolted  provinces  of  western  France  and  his  ireneral  paei- 
tieation  of  the  country  had,  for  tl;e  first  time  since  the  Revo- 
ultion  be-zan,  rchasetl  for  the  foreign  service  all  the  military 
strenuth  of  the  Ke|iublic.  He  needed  no  army  to  defend  his 
government  at  home.  Even  in  the  garrisons  of  Paris  he  hud 
oidy  2:M)  men,  a  nuich  smaller  force  than  was  employed  to 
preserve  the  peace  in  London  herself. 

Nor  did  his  enetnies  know  that  while  his  i)liantom  army  at 
Dijon  was  conti'ibutiuL^  to  the  gaiety  of  nations,  a  regiment 
was  .piietly  forniiui:  here,  a  brig^ide  there  in  various  parts  of 
France  ;ind  stealthily  mai-chiuir  liy  itself  toward  Switzer- 
land. Its  own  officers  had  no  idea  of  its  real  destination. 
Even  the  minister  of  war  was  not   in  the  secret. 

As  those  mysterious  and  mystified  commands,  coming  hy 
many  roads,  met  on  the  banks  of  Lake  (.meva  at  Lausanne 
thi'y  were  ama/ed  to  tiiid  themselves  an  army  the  real  Army 
of  the  Reserve — under  the  conunand  of  .Napoleon  himself, 
who  mai-clK'd  tln^m  scpmrely  against  the  Alps  at  .Martiuny, 
He  was  -oin-  to  .steal  u|)  the  Al[iiiie  wall  and  jump  down  ou 
the   ihisuspeeting  Austriaus! 

.Mauniliceni  hi-hways  run  over  the  Alps  to-d  v  and  hixnri 
ous  express  trains  run  under  them— it  is  hardly  more  tluui 
an  hour  from   Mai'tiuny  itself  to   Italy  by  the  urent  Simnloi; 


St 


VI 


tli 


'.t 

vr 


be 


I 


CROSSING  THE  ALl'S 


121 


niiiiirl.     Mm    tliiTo   \v;is    tiot    n    wncron    track    for    \';)pol»'Oii. 

.UiKiiiL'  the  mere  foot  frails  over  the  st«v[)  passes,  lie  diose  the 
-  -  pixf  of  all,  thr  (Jrcat  St.  iJcrnard.  bccaiis.'  it  was  the 
-'oi't.st  and  would  take  him  closest   1o  the  I'car  of  the  Aus- 

■i'i;iiis. 

As  another  youtli  with  the  same  sad  l)row  and  flasliiiiL'  ])liie 
■  .'.  uho  hore  mid  snow  and  ice  a  bannei'  with  a  stranyv  de- 
-:•■■,  was  warned  by  the  prudent  against  tiie  roariii--  torrent 
.  fnl  the  awful  avalanche  of  the  St.  P.ernard.  the  army  en^'i- 
li'-is,  returning  from  their  insi)ection.  shook  their  cautious 
K.ads  at   tlie  youui,'  First  Consul  and  echoed,   '-Trv   not  the 

"I)it1icult,  sranted,"  lie  replied  to  the  engineers ;  "but  is  it 
possible  .'•'  They  admitted  the  possibility.  "Then  let  us 
start :"'  He  did  not  cry  "Excelsior!"  But  no  doubt  he  had 
Ins   secret    watchword — "Empire!" 

If  CliarlemaLnie  bad  led  an  army  over  the  St.  Bernard  1000 
yrjits  before,  and  Hannibal  had  crossed  tlie  Alps  2000  years 
I"  fiTc  with  troops  reared  beneath  a  tropic  sun  and  en'eum- 
h"vd  with  a  train  of  elephants,  why  should  Napoleon  be 
daimted/  "An  army  can  pass  at  all  times,"  lie  said,  "wher- 
<'Ver  two  men  ean  set  their  feet." 

For  nearly  a  week  he  sent  his  army  out  of  Martigny,  a  di- 
vision a  <lay,  to  scale  the  6600-foot  wall  that  towers  above  the 
town  and  from  its  top  to  let  themselves  down  6000  feet  into 
the  valley  of  Aosta  on  the  other  side.  For  two  months  he 
liiid  been  prepariufj  for  the  march.  All  the  necessary  sup- 
piles  had  been  collected  by  him  as  secretly  as  he  had  as.sembled 
the  army  itself.  His  troops  marchintr  in  a  few  hours  fro". 
the  warm  sun.shine  of  the  lowlands  into  the  ice  and  snow 
"I  til,,  sniije.ss  Korees  miiiht  suoeurnb  to  the  ciiange  and  the 
'"I'i;  lit'  liad  laid  in  an  immense  stock  of  dotliin-,'  and  shoes 
"I" I  lie  saw  to  it  that  i/very  man  was  properly  clad  and  shod. 
As  the  day  grew  wanuer  and  the  snow  began  to  melt,  the 
jierils  trom  avalanches  would  increase;  he  ordered  each 
division  to  be  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  and  ready  to  start 
l)efore  two  o'clock  in  the  morninir,  thus  making'  the  most  dan- 
irt-rous  part  of  the  p.iNsa-e  in  tiie  night.     To  fortifv  tlie  weaker 


122 


IX  THE  FOOTSTEPS  OF  XAPOLEON 


for  till'  crossiiiir  iind  to  rrsiiscitatc  tlicm  nt  tlio  end  of  tlu'ir 
iirdiioiis  triiiiip,  lie  set  ii|)  li()s|iitiils  on  citlirr  side  of  tlie  inoim- 
tiiins.  Till'  line  of  iiuirrli,  stai'tint:  in  an  almost  barren 
rcLiion,  soun  lift  all  Vfurtatioii  htliiinl;  lif  arranjjctl  for  the 
army  In  cai'rv  cvi'ry  morsrl  of  food  and  foraj^'c  for  men  and 
hcasts,  sixty  or  sfvi'iity  pounds  bidu;,'  loaded  on  the  back  of 
eai-li  man. 

Tlif  road  from  Martij^ny  to  the  vallry  of  Aosta  in  Italy  is 
more  than  forty  nnlcs  loni:.  Hut  from  Hourir  St.  Pierre  there 
was  no  road  at  all  in  Najiolcon's  day.  only  a  path  up  to  the 
sunnnit  of  the  St.  Jienianl.  eijjjht  itules.  and  then  for  another 
seven  or  riiilit  miles  down  to  St.  Uhemy  on  the  Italian  side. 
Xothiiiu'  could  uo  over  that  [lart  of  the  pa.ss  on  wheels.  But 
the  ai'tilli'i-ymen  found  a  yann'  of  expert  workmen  at  St. 
I'iei're  ready  to  take  their  uun  earriat^es  and  ammunition 
waj^ons  to  pieces  and  pack  the  parts,  properly  numberetl,  on 
the  backs  of  mules. 

Sledues  had  been  provided  for  the  cannon,  but  they  proved 
to  be  useless.  Thereupon  fir  trees  were  cut  down  and  their 
trunks  split  in  two  and  hollowed  out.  The  uun  was  laid  in 
onedudf  of  the  hollowed  log,  wiule  the  other  half  was  fastened 
over  it  as  a  i-overin'j:. 

It  was  found  that  ev(>n  this  could  not  be  hauled  up  the  pass 
by  the  mules.  Tlie  peasant  mountaineers  were  called  in  and 
Xapoleon  offered  to  jiay  them  1200  francs  ($2-10)  for  each 
cannon  they  transported.  Hut  it  took  100  men  two  days  to 
draj^'  a  ^un  over  the  path.  After  a  few  Lianirs  had  attempted 
it,  the  peasants  <iave  up  the  task. 

Napoleon  fiiudly  appealed  to  his  soldiers  and  they  threw 
themselves  at  the  Alps  as  if  they  were  an  enemy  in  arms, 
while  hands  and  di'ummers  and  buulers,  posted  at  the  hard- 
est i)oints,  [daycd  the  stirring  tuiu's  of  the  Revolution.  Pa- 
triotism did  what  'jold  could  not  do. 

As  each  division  of  troops  mounted  to  the  top  of  the  pass 
and  arrived  at  the  Hospice  of  St.  Hei'uard  it  was  greeted  hy 
the  monks,  who  having  laid  in  abundant  supplies  at  Napo- 
leon's reipiest  and  expense,  gave  the  soldiers  a  tlelightful  sur- 
prise, every  iiiau  receiving  bread  and  eheese  and  wine.     De^vs 


t 


CH08SIXG  Till-:  ALIN 


i'j;{ 


;i!  Si.  Khciny,  wIutc  tlif  piitli  oiidcd  nti  tlic  Italinn  side  and 
iIk'  road  lifiran.  iiof  only  was  a  lios|>it;d  srt  up  hut  all  iiuiu- 
ih  r  of  craffsiiifii  w.-rv  assmihlrd.  If  a  strap  on  a  iiiult-  was 
liidkcii,  saddlers  \v«Tf  llicrc  nady  to  repair  it,  while  other 
werkriieii  i)ut  to!.'«'tlier  l',e  uun  carriat'es  and  ammunition 
Uiiirons  and  remounted  the  cannon  as  fast  as  they  arrived. 

Xapoli'on  stayed  at  the  lowland  home  of  the  monks  of  St. 
Il'-rnard,  the  monastery  which  still  stands  hy  the  old  church 
III  .Marti'_'ny,  luitil  he  had  seen  to  the  last  detail  and  de- 
M'.itclied  the  last  division.  His  hattle  atrainst  the  Alps  was 
"Oil,  and  as  he  rode  out  of  Hourfj:  St.  Pierre,  after  tiie  now- 
"  I'  hrated  dejeuner,  lie  .seemed  to  luive  no  iriore  serious  in- 
t'lots  than  the  curiosity  of  an  idle  traveUer. 

.\s  his  mule  plodded  up  the  heiudits  l)y  the  tumlilini,',  rnsh- 
Jiiu  \alsorey,  he  listened  to  the  roaring'  and  crashing'  noise.s 
tiMt  hroke  the  silence  of  the  lonely  pass  and  the  musical  call 
(if  the  iienlsiiien  from  peak  to  peak.  Always  charmed  hy  the 
sound  of  a  hell  lie  hearkened  to  the  loud  tinklintz'  of  the  bit: 
.\lpine  cowhelis  as  they  raufj  out  above  tlie  sinLrinix  torrent. 
Tills  pretty  picture  has  been  transferred  by  Knierson   from 


II 


ia-,'es  of  hi.story  to  the  paj:e.s  of  poetrv  and  philosophy  in 
Ins  "Each  and  All:" 

'Hie  hcif.T  that  lows  in  tho  upland  farm, 

Far  litarcl.  lows  not  tliino  ear  to  charm; 

'I'lif  sexton,  tolling  hi.s  hell  at  noon, 

Drcama  not  that  great  Na|)oleon 

Stops  his  horse,  and  lists  with  delight 

Whilst   his   tiles  swwp  round  yon   Alpine  heif.':ht; 

N'or  knowi'st   thou  what  argument 

'i'hy  life  to  thy  neighbour's  ereed  has  lent. 

It'  the  sexton  did  not  deein  that  the  prnvat  Napoleon  paused 
'  litriiiieeil  by  the  music  of  his  noontime  bell,  so  even  the  moun- 
'ini,  T  who  walked  beside  the  mule  of  the  little  <rreat  man  in 
the  bin.  uroy  coat  did  not  dream  that  he  was  grnidintr  Napoleon 
'<»  his  destiny.  Pea.sant  and  ruler  chatted  on  ea.sy  terms  as 
iliey  toiled  together  up  the  trorires  of  the  St.  Bernard,  while 
tlie  stransrer  questioned  and  the  countryman  explained  his 
Teiupied   lo  coniideuces,  the  guide  told  of  his 


.,..1.1 


ILM 


1\  TIIK   FOOTSTF'.l'S  OF  XAI'OLEON 


swiM^honrt  in  tlic  valli-v  juid  linw  poverty  luui  li.iflliil  tlicir 
n"itiii<i:,  of  his  liiuiil)It'  iii'c  .111(1  inodi'st  aiiihitioiis. 

"What  ahovo  all  thitiL's  ilcsircst  thou  most  at  this  instant 
to  make  thee  lia[)|iy?"  the  traveller  asked. 

"That  mule  you  are  ridiuLT, "'  the  |»easant  rei)lied  witlioiit 
need  of  ht'sitatiiii:. 

Not  only  did  he  L'ct  his  wish  and  return  to  his  n<ii_'libours 
tlie  nroiid  and  happy  owner  of  the  eov(>te(i  animal,  hut 
not  iii^'  afterward  an  aLrciit  of  the  French  minister  tn 
Swil/erland  souv:lit  him  out  with  a  <;ift  beyond  iii.s  dreams. 
By  the  eominand  of  tlic  First  Consul  of  Frjiiiee,  the  aL'viit 
canu'  to  arrant^e  for  the  purchase  or  en'ction  of  a  house  and 
to  provide  the  means  for  the  Lruidc's  luarria'je. 

Tho  littlo  LM'eat  man's  activities  as  a  matchmak(>r  and  pro- 
moter of  weddiriLzs  iiave  fallen  under  the  censure  of  his- 
torians.    Hut  surely  they  must  all  foi'irive  him  this  time. 

That  little,  unpainted,  weaTlier-stained  cottafje  in  a  Swiss 
hamlet,  the  House  with  Three  Windows  at  Kour-.j  St.  Pierre, 
that  sim[)l('  monument  of  thi'  fi;ratitude  of  Napoleon,  has  out- 
lasted his  niairnilicent  palaces  and  even  the  s]>lendid  edifice 
of  his  great  Empire.  The  Tuileries  and  St.  Cloud  are  gone, 
but  the  Maison  du  (luide  de  Napoleon  still  stands  and  shelters 
the  grateful  posterity  of  the  guide.  Mighty  works  wrouglr 
by  the  power  of  Napoieon  and  dedicated  to  bis  glory  have 
passed  away,  but  a  simple  deed  of  kindness  endures. 

A  carriage  road  has  taken  the  place  of  the  rousrh  trail 
Napoleon  followed  over  tlie  wild,  deep  ravine  of  the  Valsorey, 
where  the  French  army  found  its  steepest  climb;  through  the 
forest  of  St.  Pierre,  where  the  tree-^  make  their  rinal  stand 
against  the  wintry  desert  of  stone,  and  then  on  to  the  last  in- 
liab/itetl  house,  the  Cantine  de  Proz,  where  even  man  sur- 
renders to  the  arid  heights. 

]\Iore  tiian  1000  feet  below  the  Ilospiee  of  St.  Bernard  is  its 
outpost,  the  little  stone  hospitalet  or  refuge.  Here  and  tlicre 
a  solitary  tree  rises  from  tht»  stones  to  stand  like  a  sentinel  at 
his  past,  guarding  the  lowlands  against  the  advance  of  desola- 
tion.    In  the  drear  Combe  des  Morts  itself — the   Valley  of 

Deain — DcaUliIUi    Aipiiic     IiOv\t"ls,     iiitidifsl     uvveiiero    iii    I"^ 


CHOSSI.\(;  TIIK  A  LI'S 


12: 


•i;ii  world.  '.Mrhiiid  tlir  should 
uld  irowti  liiiii. 


ITS  ol    th 


''  iiiountiiiii  ai 


d  f 


Id   liiiii 


Kv.n  in  rarly  duly.  tli,.  shovll..,!  n);.d  nmuiils  ],rixvrru  siunv 
iMiiks  SIX  and  seven  tret  lii-li  to  the  little  plain  uiier.'  tli.' 
u'l.  y  walls  of  the  I  Inspire  of  St  Bernard  rise  out  of  the  white 
'^i'th  in  a  cold  ha/.e  toward  a  sonihre  sky,  as  inelaneholv  a 
--nc    as    can    he    imagined.     An    enclosed    hrid-e    connects 

IWO  severely  plain  stoUe  hllildill-S.  staildin-  on  either  side 
"'  til''  niad.  One  is  the  monastery  and  tli.^  other  the  Hotel 
>t.  Louis,  a  ncc.'ssary  refii-e  for  the  hrothers  in  ease  of  lire, 
■  md  which  also  s<-rve.s  as  a  lod-in-  for  poor  wayfarers  and  u 
-h'  Iter  \\>r  the  horses  of  travellers. 

It  wa-  in  the  depth  of  the  dark  au'es  that  a  voiing  dreamer 
>t.  Lernar.i  de  .Menthon,  .piit  a  world  lilled  with  hate  and  wai^ 
•"  -  t  up  th.'  cross  on  the  lofty  and  peaceful  hei-hts  of  the 
\lp^  ii.s  a  lieacon  aloiif,'  the  pi|eriuia-e  road  to  Koine,  as  a 
suiriuary  lor  the  stormd.eat.ui  wayfarer.  Althou-h  the  rail- 
roads and  hi-hroa<Is  under  and  ov,.r  th."  Alpine  chain  have 
liir-ely  reduced  th.'  iLM-.-ssity  for  this  r.'scu.'  w.u'k  in  our  time 
P'lit!..  souls  still  hearken  to  th.'  call  of  St.  Bernard's  cross 
'i'l.l.  l.-avini:  s.df  and  a  worl.l  of  s.dfish  strilV  h.dow,  jjo  up  in 
til''  iiinuntams  to  devot.'  tli.'ir  lives  to  an  id.'al. 

Ill  the  .•hapi'l  ar.'  two  .Strang  companions,  a  portrait  of 
""•  jHac.dovin^'  foun.i.T  of  tlu-  onhu-  an.l  the  seuIpMired 
"""luiiient  of  a  wardovin-  .vouth.  This  is  (i..n.'ral  D.'saix. 
'"I'l  'li''  whit.'  marble  iiieiiiorial  of  liim  was  .set  iii)  hv  X 


ifiin  as  a  t.-stunouv  to  his  a.l»   irat 


yoiuu 


p  iiy  Aapo- 
ition  and  rei:ret  for  a  brilliant 


u'eii.'ral.  who  eros.s,.d  th.'  Alps  only  to  meet  his  <!eath 


nil  the  li.l.i   of  .Maren-o.     ( o-n.'rations  of  monks  have  d 


i>lieii  the  tra.litions  of  Xay)ol 


ler- 


and  the  L'obl.'t   fi 


om 


eon's  hour  of  re.st  at  the  Hospi 


.\ 


s  lie  ra 


lilt'  iiway  from  tlu'  1 


which  he  drank  is  treasured  to  this  d 


ee, 

IV. 


uonasterA-  and  i)roi'e.'<lcd  p-ist  th. 
oiHl.v  statue  of  St.  B.M-nard   on  th"  bl.'ak  plain   b.'yon.l  tlu 


htt 


ik.',   i 


It;dl 


saw  a  wonderful  tol 


iiti  sun.     It  had  I 


ot  .soldiers  who  had  seated  themsel 
down  the  st.'ep  nionntain  sid. 


loe-^'an  .'hute  Lrlist.'uiriL'  in 
n  worn  smooth  liy  the  thou.sands 


ve.s  in   th.'  s 


now  and  slid 


Polio 


0Wi!:ir  tn 


.c  .:.vajiipie    01    ins   men.    lie   liimself   took   tl 


le 


126 


i\  Tin;  i'()(tTSTi;i's  of  XApoijidN 


tol)oj:j.'iiti  ,111(1  was  fairly  shot   into   [talv,  wlin-r  the   A 


iistnaiis 


Were  ns  surpriNrd  to 


<ir()|)|)c(l   lidiii   Mars  uitli  a   |iaracliiil 


fri  ilcsrrri.l  upon  tlinii  a.s  il"  la-  lunl 


MAi;i;.\(;o  i,(»st  and  won 

lf<i)U      AOK   30 

TW(^  months  \,rU>vv  h,-  .-n.ss.Hl  tli.'  Alps,  \a.)ol,>nn 
lay  .111  ;i  l.j.^  hi;ip  ,,f  Italy,  uhicli  IkhI  hrm  spn'a.l  on 
Idr  floor  of  tiif  TiiikTirs  in  I'aris.  As  he  studied  tlu' 
iii.'i'  li''  "tuck  pins  in  it.  Iut,.  and  thnv,  soinr  of  tli.'in  tipjK.d 
with  rn!  ua\  and  the  otli.Ts  with  hlark. 

I'.nurriciin.',  wlio  knelt  on  the  map  heside  him,  savs  that 
"li'ti  Xai.oleon  liad  tinished  this  op,. rat  ion  he  asked,  •"  Where 
'!"  V'U_  think-  I  shall  lieat  Melas.'"  '-Huw  th.^  devi!  siioiild  I 
know  .'■■  i'.ourrienne  replied. 

^••Wliy.  look  here,  yon  fool."  said  the  other  man  on  the 
''■'>"<:  --.Melas  is  at  Alessandria,  with  his  head.piarters.  Tliere 
I"'  uill  remain  until  (lenoa  surrr|.d..rs.  Crossing'  the  .\lps 
li'iv."  and  he  pointed  to  a  red  pin  at  tli..  (Iivat  St.  Bernard, 
"1  shall  tall  upon  him.  eut  his  eommunicai  ions  and  meet  hiiii 
tli'Te,"  poiiitiim'  to  a  red  pin  at  San  Hiuliano.  "I'oor  .M.  de 
M'l.is.-'  h,.  ,iniekl.(|;  ••he  will  pass  throuudi  Turin.  Tall  haek 
niM.n  Alessandria,  1  sliall  eross  the  |>o.  overtake  him  on  the 
|-!'I  lo  I'laceiiza,  on  the  plain.s  of  the  Serivia,  and  I  shall 
''■■i'  Idm  just  tliere    .jii.st   there!" 

I'  was  in  .lune  ISOO,  nearly  three  months  nft.T  that  ro- 
1  •'■'•d  lon.east,  when  Hourrienne  found  himself  watehin" 
"■'"n  the  height  .f  San  (iiuliano  the  smoke  of  hatth^  risiii<r 
"•"1.1  the  tield  of  Mar.'nm  .Napol.'on  had  eross...!  tlu  Alps^ 
-It  th..  .•ommuniealions  of  (ien.'ral  .Melas.  the  Austrian  eom- 
l'^'""'"!'  1"  Italy,  and  now  was  meetin-  him  in  the  valley 
h'l.iw  San  (iiuliano. 

The  decisive  battle  eaine  before  either  side  was  ready  for  it. 
Taken  by  ourpn.-,e,   ;u%-las  ha.i   ijeen  abie  to  assemble  of  Ins 

\.17 


128 


IX  THE  FOOTSTKI'S  OF  XAPOLKOX 


iiiiiiiiiisf  hut  widely  scatlci-cd  forces  only  about  .'K).000  men 
at  Alessaudiia.  when  tlie  Kfeiich  presented  themselves  lie- 
i'ore  the  lii'iek  wall  of  that  town,  .vhieh  is  an  important  plaee 
si\t\-   miles  south   of  .Milan. 

.Xajioleon,  on  his  part,  had  ne'-:leeted  for  once  his  adopted 
maxim  that  '(iod  is  always  on  the  side  of  the  heaviest  hat- 
talions."  He  had  tempted  fate  by  so  dispersiiiL'  his  array  as 
to  hriim-  perhaps  otdy  20.(100  men  to  the  Held  of  action  and 
only  folly  <,Mms  to  meet  the  lii'e  of  the  200  .\u:trian  iiuns. 

For  live  hours  this  small  force  had  struu'^ded  to  restrain  the 
advance  of  the  Auslrians.  when  at  ten  o'cdoek  .\'ai)oleon  ^'al- 
loped  upon  Ihe  scene  of  battle  for  the  first  time.  With  huu 
were  his  old  (iuiues,  now  the  Consular  (Iiiard,  and  from  hi.s 
shouldei's  floated  the  eloak  which  was  destined  to  cover  his 
coffin  when  it  was  borne  to  the  willows  at  St.  Helena. 

Nearly  all  the  famous  battletields  were  a])i>ointe(l  by  nature 
and  not  by  military  strateuist.s.  We  hear  of  warriors  seleet- 
iu<r  fields  of  combat,  hut  they  oidy  seek  out  the  places  chosen 
for  them  Ioul^  aj^es  b(d'ore  they  were  born,  j,'enerally  beside  a 
stream  or  a  hill. 

Looking  down  from  the  old  legendary  tower  of  Theodoric, 
the  irreat  ()stroL:oth,  whi(di  still  rises  amonji'  the  orchard  trees 
of  .Marengo,  one  sees  a  ^n/.y  little  creek  meauderinjr  over  the 
broad  plain  that  lies  belore  the  easte  ii  <^ate  of  Alessandria. 
The  plain  is  like  a  irreat  football  field,  bordered  on  either  side 
by  bills  that  rise  like  the  tiers  of  a  f.rrandstand,  with  the  River 
iJormida  washiuLr  the  old  walls  of  Alessandria  at  one  end  and 
till'  heiuhts  of  San  (iiuliano  risinii'  at  the  other  end  of  the 
aridiron,  while  the  tiny  rivulet  Fontanone  is  the  fifty-yard 
line. 

Across  that  mere  !)rooklet  the  Battle  of  Marenjro  was 
fouuht.  Thei'e,  by  ihe  steep  banks  of  a  reedy  ditcli,  the  his- 
tory (,.  Europe  was  decided  for  fifteen  years.  At  two  o'clock 
of  a  dune  afternoon  it  v.as  decided  favourably  to  Austria  and 
adversely  to  France,  for  then  Melas  hi'''  crossed  the  creek  and 
snuisbed  X.-poleon's  army  into  fr;i:,ments.  Many  of  tlic 
l-'reiudi  wer(>  in  a  rout,  but  others  stubbornly  contested 
the  ground  inch   hy  inch  as  they  slowly  retreated  over  the 


MAREXCO  LOST  AND  WON 


120 


l>l;iiii.  I.iiiines.  falliii'j  Ijfick  at  the  hciul  of  a  small  brii.'a(l(\ 
M.ldcil  only  a  iiiilf  in  two  hours.  But  at  last  the  Consular 
(iiiiinl  itself  <ravo  way  under  a  Idazin'^  artillery  fire. 

Tiir  Hattle  of  .MartMi^'o  was  lost,  and  with  it,  Xapoleon's 
■hiiiuc  foi-  empire.  A  niessenszer  hastily  stole  away  to  carry 
to  till'  enemies  of  the  First  Consul  in  Paris  the  weleome  news 
iiat  fortune  had  deserted  him.  Kevolutionary  Pans  need 
111)  iDtiui'r  fear  his  iron  hand. 

Siiil\TinLr  from  the  heat  and  burdened  with  his  seventy 
wars — Austria  persisted  in  lier  policy  of  sendinir  ol<l  men  to 
v.iiip  tills  Corsican  youth — (Jeneral  .Melas  left  the  field  of  vic- 
tory tor  his  hea(l(|uarters  in  Alessandria.  Having  silenced 
all  liiit  live  of  the  French  cannon,  it  was  time  for  the  aiied 
ilciieral  to  lie  down  and  dictate  a  report,  telling  the  Emperor 
at  :;na  how  he  had  slain  the  Goliati  oi  the  Revolution 
wit  I;  (.,e  pebbles  of  the  Brook  Fontanom. 

Me;in while  X;'  ^ileon  was  sitting  on  the  trround,  behind  the 
slieltrfinLT  walls  of  the  little  village  of  Maren<:o.  The  Con- 
sular (iuard  was  drawn  up  about  him.  His  nuips  were  si)read 
!  rsiile  him.  But  he  was  not  looking  at  them,  nor  seemin>rly 
at  his  fleeing  soldiers  as  they  passed  him.  He  did  not  lift  his 
:!iiL'(r  in  an  efTort  to  rally  them.  His  ])oldne,ss  seemed  to 
liave  i'orsaken  him,  as  he  sat  there  beatin<;  up  the  dust  with 
Ins  ridiiii;  whip. 

lie  still  enter^aine-1  a  faint  hope,  however,  that  before  the 
slow-LToin^'  Austrians  recovered  from  their  victory  and 
;iilo[)ted  measures  for  following;  it  up,  (Jeneral  Desaix,  whom 
li'  li;id  ordered  elsewhere,  miirht  yet  come  to  the  rescue. 
Wliile  jii.  waited  and  hoped.  Savaiy,  ;>  ■  aide-de-camp  of 
It'saix,  dashed  up  to  report  that  his  (!'  -ml,  having'  heard 
til"  sound  of  battle,  vas  hastening,'  to  the  scene  with  his  5000 
linn. 

Napoh'on  at  once  si)ranfr  into  his  saddle  and  si^urri-d  his 
white  hor.-.e  amony:  his  retreating?  troops,  fo'iuiiiu  them  in 
line  auaiii  in  front  ti  San  (Huliano.  His  cocked  hat  blew 
"II.  hut  he  rode  on  bareheaded  throimh  Xlw  ranks,  shoutinir: 
"My  friends,  wo  have  fallen  back  far  enoneh.  Remember, 
i-oldiers,  it  is  my  habit  to  bivouac  on  ihe  field  of  battle." 


130 


IX  TIIK  KOOTSTKI'S  OF  XAl'oLKox 


As  tlir  sui,  was  dcsceiulin-  to  tli,.  Alpin,.  liorizon  the  \us- 
tnaiis,  with  colours  (lyi..-  and  hands  phi.vinir,  Icisurolv  niov..! 
torward  In.ni  Marcn-o.  They  wrv  contmt  nuTelv  "to  drive 
the  enemy  from  the  field,  lor  to  all  the  old  -cnerals  of  Europe 
war  was  only  an  intenninahle  triune  of  chcek-.Ts.  not  a  ti-ht 
to  a  hni.sh.     On  they  went  until  th..y  were  within  100  paees 

01  JJesaix  s  toree,  l)ur  without  serin-  it  throi'-h  a  Held  of  hi-h- 

stand.n,^    wheat    and    the    thiek    leaves    of    a    vinevard    that 

screened  the  French. 

Suddenly  the  hidden  army  spran<r  at  the  surprised  Aus- 

tnans   and  out  of  the  ;,rain  and  the  vines  hlaze.l  a  heavy  mus- 

ketry  tire.  The  line  of  white  coats  wavered,  but  quicklv  rai- 
led. Soon,  however.  (iOO  Fr.-nch  cavalry  under  Conn;: 
v,.|lermann  dashed  upon  th.-ir  flank  and  carried  chaos  amon<^ 

the    Austnans.     Their    ranking   officer   and   6000   men   were 

taken  pri.soners. 

The  French  line  began  to  advance,  and  the  victors  of  a  few 
minutes  before  io.ui.l  thcmselv,.s  rolle.l  back  among  the  10,000 
dead  and  wounded  lyi,,.  o„  the  plain.     The  retreating  white 
coats  burned  past  Marengo,  jumped  the  ereek  and  then  ran 
for  their  lives  to  the  bridges  over  the  River  Bormida,  where 
It  flows  between  Alessandria  and  the  battlefield.     When  night 
tell  there  was  not  an  Austrian  in  arms  on  the  field  of  Marenc^o 
Desaix   had  saved  the  day  but   he   had   been   killed  at  the 
head  of  his  column      "What  a  triumph  this  would  have  been 
t  1  <-ouh(  have  embraced  De.saix  on  the  field  of  battle."  the 
■  oneral-in-chief  exclaimed.     Then  he  added,  with  quickly  ris- 
Hig  spirits,  "Little  Kellermann  made   a   luckv  char-e     We 
are  much  indebted  to  him.     You  see  what  tVifling  ^circum- 
stances decide  these  affairs." 

...^n"  r  ^'"'i''  u!''u-  '"'  -""'"'  ''^'"'  ''^  '^'  P«o^^«t.  Napoleon 
reaped  probably  his  greatest  harvest  of  glory.  Althoudi  he 
•ad  correctly  foretold  the  battle  nearly  three  months,  it 
»->"'id  him  unready  and  ab.sent  from  the  scene  until  the  fi"ht 
was  more  than  half  over.  As  h.e  saw  his  armv  smashed  an,! 
dnvcn  from  the  plain,  he  contrived  no  timelv  expedient,  no 
Iirdhant  exploit  to  turn  the  en-ulfing  tide  of  disaster,  and  he 
was  sa-  ed  at  last  by  Desaix  and  bv  Kellerni«n„ 


■ 


MARENGO  LOST  AND  WON 


Siicrcss  eaino  to  him  only 
I'lilly  lii'lontit'd  to  him,  in 


rn 


our  world  of  chance.     II..  had  j 


as  a  stroke  of  luck.     Yet  it  . 
ci'ordanc'  with  th.'  ruh's  that 


131 


rijzht- 


LTOV- 


hinusclf  where  I 


tie 


Drsii 


M:  lorv. 


COl 


x's  muskets-  and  Kcllerm, 


Tl 


le   battle  of  .Mat 
'■n  Xapoh'on  hiy  on  the  tl 


surmounted  the  A]i)s  and 
il*i  find  him,  where  a  few  of 
inn's  horses  could  win  a  irrcat 


'<'iit:o  really   was  won  in   .March 


I'lns  a 


.M 


nd  hiaek  into  the 
nvri'.'o   is   to-day   the   best  cl 


oor  o;  tlie  'I'uiJeries, 
iua{)  of  Italv. 


stickint;  red 


.(['lilei 


HI  s    victories.     His    battle    u 


erished  of  all  the  tields  of 


round 


s    he    generally    in 


•;■  '"  lan.i-s  amon.  conquered  ..copies,  who  naturallv  have  no 
-  ;  ""■Hi   to  eommen.orate  his  trnnnphs  over   then.         i 
l^'l-n  victones,  how.ver,  were  not  won  a.ainst  Itaii  ns  b 
-:.-    Austna,.,  and  in  the  end  Tnited  Italy  slowh '^e  ^ 

;l;l  ■n.l.'nce   frou.   the    battlefields   of  Napoleon,    who   on  v 
i'l.''"I  the  path  for  Victor  Emmanuel  ■ 

Hie  last  of  these,   the  climax,   was  Maren^-o.     lie  fondlv 
planned  the  erection  of  a   monumental  citv  there    a  city  of 
v-tories,   with   beautiful   avenues  bearing 'the   names  o"  hi 
-n.rals  and  adorne.l  with  temples  and  sculptures      Bnt    his 
'-ties  ot  .lory  remained  in  the  air.  never  imerdn.  f^om  h 
<   .  a,as  uito  reahty.     Lon,  after  his  bones  were  d.^t  Z 

'     -as  rust,    a   patriotic    Italian   of   Alessandria    bough 
M. mnu^)  and  made  it  a  Nai.oleonio  museum  ^ 

Al-ut  all  there  was  to  the  villa^^e  when  the  battle  immor- 

1 ':Lds  ZT-r'  '"  '''  '''^'''''  ^^^'^'^°'  -•»'>  >^«  stalls 
"1  ^lieds  and  its  ancient  tow,>r.  which  h-c'.'nd  ascribes  to  ■! 

l-alace   erected    there    by    Theodoric    some    1400    v,aV 
A.amst  the  stony  sides  of  those  structures  the  red  tic,    of 
''■'"l"  surged  and  the  leaden  hail   pelted  as       e  oom^cim 
annies  took  and  retook  the  sheltering,  walls  '""^^^'^'"^»' 

"■tavern  stiH  stands  by  the  road.  alon,.  which  a  rural 
;"'!<>'  iH.e  now  makes  its  way.     Its  si-ni,  <'Albersro  Maren  o  ' 
covered  with  the  scars  of  time  if  not  of  battle      T  e1l 
uo  .s  unchanged  by  the  years,  and  one  mi.ht  sa  •  un  wept 
•MlH>  generations  that  have  come  and  jzone  .sine  ^  v"  '    ^1 
^^^">;ts  lee,  beatin,  up  the  dust  with  his  ridin "  wi.in        W 
ayamst  Its  wall  and  bennid  an  i-       ■  "'".-^^iip.     l^ut 


f... 


fiuiuiii  uppeil 


132 


IN  TlIK  FOOTSTEPS  OK  NAI'oLKoN 


i'ikfs  ;ni(l  lances  jiiul  haltlc  axc^  on  top  of  it,  thcro  rises  tlu^ 
iiioniini.iital   palace  iniilt   l-y  ilie  Alessaiidriau  citizen. 

Within  this  fence  is  the  court  of  honour  and  a  statue  of 
the  youn^'  First  Consul,  wIuks.'  f.^et  are  |ilauted  on  a  block  (,!" 
red  -rraiiite  from  the  Alps  uhieli  he  crossed  to  write  the  name 
of  Maren-o  on  the  list  of  his  victori<>s.  Tlie  palace  walls  ris- 
ing' hehind  and  on  one  side  of  the  court  of  lionour  are  cjitirclv 
covered  with  most  amazini:  frescoes,  deiyictiM-:  the  spires  anil 
domes  and  aiclies,  avenues,  palaces,  temples,  and  b.'lveder-v 
of  Napoleon's  dream  city  of  victories,  as  they  misht  have 
looked  if  his  dream  had  come  trne.  Out  of  this  irorireous 
fantasy,  the  victor  flo.its  at  full  len<j:th  while  victory  crowns 
him  with  laurels,  and  Desaix,  Kellermann  and  other  .renerals 
are  also  portrayed. 

Hack  (d'  the  palace  are  the  old  tavern  stab'  and  sheds,  .still 
(•ehoinj,'  to  the  ima^dnation  the  moans  of  the  poor  wounded 
fellows  who  were  eari'ied  there  from  the  hattletield.  A  stai;e 
coacli  of  tiie  Em|)ress  .Marie  Louise  has  been  brought  from 
somewhere  and  in  all  it'^  -audiness  is  installed  in  a  shabliv 
l)arn. 

Within  the  silent,  untenanted  i)alaee  itself  is  a  ^'orizeous 
^'allery  of  the  apotheosis,  and  there  are  a'so  chambers  lined 
with  pistols,  nniskets,  swords,  sabres,  knives,  and  all  manner 
of  rusty,  murderous  thiniis  raked  in  from  the  battlefield. 
The  table  on  which  .\apoleon  is  .said  to  have  written  his  letter 
to  the  Emperor  of  (iermany  has  been  brou<,dit  there,  with  the 
veritable  (|uill,  the  veritable  tin  ink  horn  in  which  he  dipped 
it,  the  veritable  sand  with  which  he  dried  his  letter  and  tho 
v.  ■-.able  receptacle  for  water  in  winch  he  h'ft  the  quill  when 
he  had  finished.  A  hi-li.  slender-backed  chair,  like  a  piece 
of  pulpit  furniture,  whereon  he  is  reputed  to  have  sat— and 
napped— is  tre.isured  in  a  glass  case,  and  above  it  are  a  nobb.v 
(diai.cau^  and  a  sword  and  s<abbard  crossed.  TIu>y  Ixdon^cil 
to  Desai.K.  hut  presumably  were  not  worn  in  the  battle,  for 
Savary  records  that  -:houls  had  stolen  everythin<,'  on  hiui' and 
stripped  him  naked  b(d'ori>  his  body  was  cold. 

Out  in  a  pretty  park— t her-  are  2(10  acr(>s  in  the  reserva- 
tion-is a  marble  bust  of  the  fallen  Oeneral  in  the  midst  of  a 


MAR£N(JO  LOST  AND  WON 


133 


I 


]r:i\y  solitiidc,  his  shoul(1,.rs,  chin,  ohocixs,  aixl  brow  black  with 
ilir  ><Til)bli-(l  Italian  niunrs  of  visitors.  A  lowly  hclvciiiTc 
risis  m  til.-  sliadf  of  irirat  tiv.s,  fin  altar  auainst  its  imiri'  wall. 
Tliroii-h  an  openin-  in  the  cciitrf  of  the  Hoor,  a  heap  of  bnn<'s 
^iirprisfs  the  tiazi'. 

TliiTo  in  that  pit  aro  -aHirrcd  tl,,-  rdics  of  the  sliin  in  a 
nmnion  pile,  where  the  hoys  of  Frauee  and  the  hovs  of  Aus- 
iMu  arc  niintrlin^'  their  dust  as  they  mingled  their  blood  in 
the  creek  on  the  plain. 

Out  of  the  Si-rave  of  that  unite  hrotliei'hood  of  death,  came 
I"'ace,  the  first  that  a  war-worn  world  ha.l  known  since  nionar- 
-hical  Europe  comb  ned  a^'ainst  the  French  Revolution  ci<rht 
,\.ars  before.  Austria  was  ready  to  lay  ilown  her  arins^'at 
Napoleon's  feet,  but  her  ally,  (ireat  liritain,  whose  battleti.'ld 
was  the  sea,  had  not  felt  the  heavy  hand  of  the  .'OiKpu.ror. 
It  ^he  oave  him  peace  on  the  water  he  would  be  able  to  rein- 
loP-e  his  army  in  Euypt  and  keep  his  foothold  in  the  ea.st. 

The  liritish,  therefore.  s.Mit  the  Aiisti'ians  an  e.xtra  sub.sidy 
!or  the  continuance  of  the  campaiiiii  auain.st  France  in  (Jer- 
iiiaiiy,  which,  however,  was  broujjrht  to  a  disastrous  end  by 
•"■neral  .Moreau  in  a  -reat  French  victory  at  Iloheniinden  in 
!'-i    December  followiim  .Mai'etijo. 

Napoleon  now  showed  hanlly  less  skill  in  the  jrane  of 
'iil'iimiacy  than  in  the  -ame  of  war.  Tie  made  his  moves  like 
an  adept  chessman.  lie  l)rou-ht  Austria  to  harder  i.rm.s  than 
'"■  liad  unposed  at  Campo  Formic  three  years  before,  closed 
■■in  n-ly  (piarrcl  with  the  Cnited  StaP-s,  made  a  trade  with 
^[>aui  for  Louisiana  and  jiromotcd  a  f.Mid  between  Russia  and 
'lie  Baltic  powers  atrainst  (ireat  F.ritain,  which  broke  out  into 
■I  naval  war.  culminatini^'  in  the   Battle  of  (Vipeidiauen. 

The  British,  with  a  |.",,ulation  of  17,(Hl().0()0.  lound  tbem- 
>"'lves  abandoned  and  alone  in  the  lon^'  strugule  with  France 
^vMch  now  numb.-n  d  4().Ono,(l()0  ,)eople.  Sine,-  the  war  be- 
'-.in  m  17!)2.  the  expenditures  of  (Jreat  Britain  had  risen  from 
■^KKi.OOO.non  a  year  to  .^IJOO.OOdOOO;  the  incme  tax  had 
t)een  raised  to  t.n  per  cent,  and  the  national  debt  stood  at 
>^2.(.)0, 000,000. 

neiieath  those  accumulated  burdens.  En-land  welcomed  the 


134 


IN  THE  FOOTSTEI'S  OF  NAPOLEON 


rrlirf  that  ponce  would  brintr,  altliouirh  lookinir  upon  it  as 
hanllv  inoiv  than  a  briH'  tnic.-.  an  experimental  peaee,  as  Iht 
statesmen  deserihed  it.  Slie  did  not  yield,  however,  nntil  the 
Freneh  had  lost  K'-'vpt  and  until  she  herself  had  little  to  losr 
from  a  breathiug  si)ell. 


CHAPTER  xvrr 


THE  LAW  GIVER 

IF  Xapoloon  n.nvr  l,;i,l  foii-ht  a  h.ttle,  l„.  wouM  vot  st.ri.l 
forth  a.s  on,,  of  thr  worl.l's  mv.trst   statcsn...,,.'    WIumv 
"i<l,-('(l.  shall  uv  look  for  his  peer  in  statecraft  ' 
l>;..vinK  aside  his  swonl  after  the  Mattle  of  Marengo,  he  won 
in  lour  years  of  ,,ea.-e.  victories  which  deserve  to  he  no  le.s 
ivnowned  than  those  of  war,  and  whi,.!i   w,.re   far   niore  en 
'Inrin-      Enterin-  upon  the  Tonsulate  in  the  true  spirit  of  a 
patriot  and  servant  of  the  people,  the  unvatness  an.l  -dorv  of 
us  eountry  were  his  rutin-  passion.     "Ma  belle  France  ''  as 
he  fondly  called  her,  was  his  -  .^stress. 

I|<"  would  rather  toil  for  the  nation  than  sleep  or  eat  He 
conld  work  eighteen  hours  without  restin-  "I  work  all  the 
t'"HN  he  said  to  the  official  slu-ar.ls,  "at  <]inner  and  at  the 
theatre. 

<;enera]ly  men  are  -rown  old  an.l  stal,>  hv  the  time  th, 
.■ma,n  to  power.  It  was  this  man's  fortune  while  v.  t  in  the 
nil  flush  of  youthful  enthusiasm  to  find  himself  the  ruler  of 
I  nmce.  He  hel.l  his  councillors  to  th.'ir  tasks  from  nine  to 
!'ve.  with  only  fifteen  minutes'  intermission  for  eating  an<i 
v-ain  from  ten  at  night  until  fiv<.  in  the  mornin-  "Come 
""•i".  lie  ehided  his  exhausted  helpers  far  in  the  ni-ht  "let 
■is  hestir  ourselves.  It  is  only  two  o'clock,  and  we  must'  earn 
i-  money  the  French  people  pay  us."  If  Hourrienne  sfole 
'■":i.v  to  the  theatre  he  had  to  come  hack  to  take  up  the  dav's 
'iii'ies  again. 

Vjipoleon  did  not  tak.^  time  prop:  rly  to  undress  for  l)..d   but 
•'■'V  of    his  clothes  and  flung  them  aho.it  the  room,  hat,  wat.'h 
'i.l  all.     He  did  not  stop  even  to  he  shaved,  hut  talked    rea.i 
pafHTs  and  kept  on  the  move  while  under  the  razor  of' Con- 
slant,  his  valet.     Tie  held  audiences  while  in  the  bathtub 
His  servants   had   to  go   into   conference   and    agree   unon 

135 


136 


I\   Till':   l"(»()TSTi;i'S  Ol'   N.\l'()Li:()N 


iiirasiifi's  t'oi'  ui'tf iiiir  liiiii  cdrriTtly  dressed  t'of  state  oceasioiis. 
lie  i-eiused  to  |i;nisi'  l'(>i'  silliiiL's  to  tile  'ji-eat  Canova,  whom 
lie  liad  siiiuiiioned  Iroiii  Italy,  but  oMiued  tlie  sculptor  to 
.study  liini  while  lie  luiiehed. 

And  he  would  not  spai'e  the  time  to  eat.  A  fjlass  of  hot 
watef,  ill  whieli  he  sijiiee/ed  a  hnion,  sutlieed  for  his  hreak- 
Tasl.  The  table  hoi'ed  hini.  and  his  ehet',  nevei'  knowing;  when 
he  would  yield  1o  the  need  of  nourishment,  kept  his  luneheoti 
ready  and  waitiiiL!'  for  him  hour  after  hour,  repl''eiiiL'  the 
food  in  the  oven  as  fast  as  it  was  cooked  with  a  new  supply. 
When  he  came  at  last  he  chose  only  one  of  niiu'  or  ten  dishes 
and  iiinored  the  rest,      lie  hardly  knew  what  he  at'. 

Often  when  lie  had  stayed  only  ten  minutes,  even  at  dinnor, 
he  |)ushe(l  his  chair  back  and  hd't  the  family  and  his  jruests  at 
the  table.  Oiiee  when  somethinir  troubled  liiin,  instead  of 
.sprin'_Mn<:  up  from  the  table  as  usual,  he  hurled  it  away  from 
him,  upset1in<r  the  dishes  on  the  floor. 

When  he  wrote  he  did  not  take  time  to  form  the  letters,  hut 
left  half  of  them  out  of  the  louL'er  words.  "lie  writes  like 
a  cat  seratchiiiLi-  holes  in  a  sh.eet  of  paper,"  his  brother  .losejih 
said.  His  thouuhls  oiitraced  his  (piill,  which  ho  wiped  on 
his  white  breeches,  necessitatiuLT  a  fresh  pair  every  morninsr. 
Ho  insisted  that  "a  man  occupied  with  public  business  can- 
not practist>  orthoLrraphy.  His  ideas  must  flow  fa.ster  than 
his  hand  can  trace." 

His  dictation  poured  forth  in  a  tO'Tont,  which  brooked  no 
interference  and  could  not  be  turned  back  for  the  repetition 
of  a  sentence  or  a  word.  There  was  yet  no  shorthand  system, 
and  to  1-  I  |i  uj)  with  him  his  scribes  had  to  inver.t  one  of  their 
own.  "While  he  dictated  he  strode  up  and  down  the  room 
like  a  caued  lion.  If  he  sat  down  his  tireless  hand  hacked  at 
the  arm  of  his  chair  with  a  |)eni<nife.  or  he  daufrled  his  leirs 
fi'om  his  secretary's  table  and  rocked  it  so  hard  the  [toor  man 
had  still  'jreater  difii<-ulty  in  ihnkiuij  his  notes. 

The  infinite  ranue  of  his  intei'ests  and  the  t:  'mendotis  di*:- 
play  of  his  enerL'ies  stayeer  the  imaiiiiuUion,  and  "surpassed 
Inuiian  capacity,"  in  the  words  of  Taine,  his  severest  critic  in 
literatu.re.  w-hile  Ivmersou  has  said  tliat  '"h  s  achievenipnt  of 


TIIK  LAW  (ilVHK  I37 

!'N>inrss    \\;,s    iminriiM.    aii.l    mlai-rs    the    known    pouvrs   of 

111,111. 

His  uiinistrrs.  ovrnvlirlm..,!  l,y  his  instrnctions  ;n.,|  pm„p,.,l 
'lO    In    Ins  .inrstionin-,  uvnt   from  tli,-  Tuilcrics  to  thrir  nf- 

nr.vs  nnly  to  lin.l  nn  thrir  .Irsk.  a  .1,,/.,,  n,o,v  writt.n  in.iuirirs 
from  Imn.  Lavallrtte  said  that  •'h..  .ovrnu.,!  n,ur,.  in  th,v,. 
.wars  lliaii   kni-.s  in   100  years." 

H''  hoast.Mi  that  hr  took  ,no,v  ph.a.surc  in  ivadinj;  nffirial 
'■'■I""1s  -than  any  youn-  uirl  dors  in  a  nowl.'-  I|,.  ,,„t  up 
^"  'WO  lii  th.>  Tuoruinu'  to  study  army  ivports  wldh"  st.vt.h.d 
nn  his  sofa   before  tlie  li.v-and  detected  twentv  nnstakes  in 

tli'MI. 

His  own  explanation  of  the  meehanies  of  Ids  mind  is  as 
-'""I  as  It  IS  tamdiar:  "Various  suhjeets  and  afVairs  are 
^'mw.l  away  in  my  hnnn  as  in  a  ehest  of  ,lrawrrs.  Wlien  I 
'"l^"  up  iiiiy  speeial  business  I  shut  on.,  drawer  an.l  open  an- 
"fl'-'.  None  of  them  ever  uet  ...ixed.  and  never  does  this 
Hi  •ommode  me  or  fati-ue  me.  When  I  feel  sleep v,  I  shut  all 
■':•■  drawers  am'  fall  asleep." 

Vet  tlii.s  Titan  did  not  really  have  oreat  phvsieal  vh.our 
II'  "as  seldom  well,  often  in  i,ain  an,l  he  -eiierallv  awoke  in 
"-  n.ormu-  i.nrefreshed  and  depres.sed.  He  was'subjeef  to 
'  .//iiirss,  nervous  spasms  and  faintinur  spells,  whieh  'led  to 
!"•  suspieioii  that  I  e  was  epileptie  like  CVsar,  Mahomet  and 
-'Due  otiier  ^reat  uvniu.ses  in  hi.story. 

I  nder  Xaj.oleon  the  government  ceased  to  be  a  government 
''>  l'"'f'on,  and  Franee  no  lon-er  was  a  prev  to  the  bitt*  r 
-'nh.  between  the  ins  and  the  outs.  He  eoiiied  for  the  new 
"a  that  allurin-  watehword,  "a  eanuT  open  to  .'Verv  tal.mt  " 
;"'-  'i.htly  ealeulated  that  "nobody  is  int..n.sted"  in  ove'r- 
'^irowmi^  a  govermnent  in  wliieh  all  the  deserving  are  eni- 

When  the  ta.sk  of  oruanisinor  tlie  nation  suddenly   fell  to 

"n   he  knew  almost   no  one  in  the  eountry  except' soldiers 

'■    ''Hi  to  spy  out  state.smen  as  he  had  spied  out  the  lav  of 

'"■  land  m  his  military  ••ampaiuns  in  stran-e  eountries   "  Tie 

l":"speeted  for  human  gifts  as  another  mi-ht  prospect  for  -ohl 


138 


IN  riiK  i'()()'I'st;:i's  of  NAroLiiox 


Ilis  eye  ;iii(l  liis  intuition  srMom  drccivi  d  liitn,  atnl  tiifii 
soon  lost  thtir  (•(iui-;il'.'  to  try  to  foi^t  ii  kii:ivc  upon  liini.  All 
stoo.l  in  terror  of  iiis  ^;liinrr,  wliirli  slml  tiiroiijrli  tli.-in  like 
an  X-riiy,  ami  a  t'oiri'_'n  (li|il(>ma1  is  said  to  have  adoptfd  ool- 
oiircd  glasses  to  sere,  ii  his  soul  from  that  scarcliini,'  <in/.c 

Olicf    he   had    rlidsili    he    llrhl   to   lllcn    while   a    slirf<i   of   thc'Ill 

rcmaini'd,  ami  Iidi'c  with  mediocrity  and  even  betrayal  be- 
yoml  tile  pdiiit  where  patieiiee  in  a  ruler  ceases  to  l)e  a  virtue 
lie  fi'amed  U<v  hiiiiMlf  t!ic  motto.  "There  is  no  fool  that  i< 
not  ijood  for  somcthiiiL' ;  there  is  no  intelli^'cnrc  iMiual  to 
t'verythiiiu'."  .Men  rated  as  incompetent  surprised  tlinr 
friends  with  the  latent  abilitii's  v.hich  he  drew  out  of  thern. 
"I  liavo  a  lueUy  hand."  he  eluu-kled.  "Those  on  whom  I  la. 
it  become  fit  for  anytl:iiiir. " 

His  ^'reat  passion  was  to  reunite  the  French  people  of  all 
ela-sses  and,  re-rardless  of  their  jiast  ditTereiici's,  to  call  into 
the  iiovernment  the  ablest  men  in  the  imtion.  He  found 
]4r),()()0  Freiiclimen  in  exile  as  aristocrats  or  priests,  while 
;5()(),()()0  were  livinir  on  sutVeraiice  at  home,  deprived  of  all 
civic  riiihts.  He  restored  the  rights  of  the  latter  and  recallctl 
the  former  from  their  banishment. 

Summonin<r  to  he  Tuileries  a  villatzo  priest,  the  most  stub- 
born opponent  of  the  Republic  in  rebellious  and  Bourbon 
Vendee,  he  won  him  over  at  a  word  and  made  him  a  mediator 
between  the  state  and  the  church.  While  never  much  of  a 
ehurelunan  himself,  he  determined  to  make  peace  with  the 
I'apaey  and  he  bade  his  ambassador  at  Rome  to  "treat  the 
Pope  as  if  he  had  200.000  soldiers." 

All  this  was  ^ralliiii:  to  the  spirit  of  the  revolutionists,  for 
the  Kepublic  and  the  Pope  had  been  ensjapeii  for  years  in  a 
bitter  warfare,  and  the  Holy  See  had  been  active  in  the  coali- 
tions au'ainst  France.  "I  found  it  more  difficult,"  Napoleon 
said,  "to  restore  relif?ion  than  to  win  battles." 

Already  the  church  bells  were  heard  after  a  silence  of 
years,  and  as  Xaitoleon  was  walkin<:  with  councillor  Thibau- 
dean  in  the  <j;arden  of  .Malmaison,  he  stopped  and  said, 
"l.isten  to  me:   Last  Suiulay  I  was  walkinf;  here  alone  when 

T  I „.]   tl...   ..Ui.f'.li    ^f.llo   ^f  P..ii;i         T  v-iu   innx-txl    ]\v  thp  fifinnd. 


Till-:   LAW  CIVKR 


139 


>o  strotiu'  is  tlif  pnw.T  of  ..irl.v  jissonatinn.      I  siii,]  to  mysrlf. 
It  MK'li  a  tiiiui  iis  I  iuii  can  lie  iiilcctcl  j,,  tliis  way,  liow  (i.,|. 

must    l)c    tl',>    itii[)irssi()n    on    s'  nplc,    liclifviii^'    smils \ 

jMtion  must  ha  .('  a  ivli.'i(»ii.      .      I  ,|,,  not  Ifliiv.'  in  any  re- 
ligion,   l.nt    wli.  n    it    i-oiiics    tc    sju-akui^'    of    ( ;,„! "— ami    lir 
"iiitrd      )  tn«>  iicav.'tis— "WliM  Miadr  all  tli,,l  '" 
•Ail  :    .)rfil  system^  arc  line,   '  h,.  said  atraiii;      hiif  the  (Ins- 
|m1  alone   has  sIk'.vu   a    full   aid   coinpicfc  as>enililaL:e  ■>(  the 
I'lnciplesof  iiioralit\.  .str  jiped  of  ail  alisiinlity    .   .   .    I  .o  you 
■voh  to  lind  tl    ■  i-eally  -uhlime.'      Ifcpcat  tlie   [".onl's  prayer." 
It  was,  of  course    as  a  si  itesnian   and  not  as  an  individual 
iii.it   he  soui.dir   the   reunion  of  the  church    with   her  "e'dest 
liaUL'hter,"   France,    ci.ldly   arLMiint::     "Society      annot    exist 
witl.Miit  in('(iuality  of  tortunes  and  iiieipiality  of  lortunes  eaii- 
in>t  exist  without  reli^^ion.     Wh.n  a  man  is"  dyjn-  of  huimer 
liy  the  side  of  one  who  f>rormandiz.'s,  it  is  impossihle  for  him 
U>  ■,fj:v'v  to  the  differ-  nee  unless  there  i,e  some  authority   to 
s  V  to  him,  '(,od  wills  il  SO;  there  must     ••  [)oor  an<l  rich  in 
•    s  world;  hut   afterward  ai.d  curin-r  ei,-rnitv  the     livisiori 
will  I),,  made  otherwise.'  "     He  reduced  reli-  on  to  the  same 
:is,.  use  and  u'i.ve  it  tlie  same  ea   Miy    eeonomie  motive  w'  .•„ 
lie  said  that  it  "prevents  the  rich  iron,  destroying:  the  poor." 
At  the  invitation  of  the  First  Consul,      ic  pap'al  secretary 
of  stato.  Cardinal  Consalvi,  came  to  Paris,  and  the  celehrafe'd 
'Vmcordat  was  drawn    up,   a  treaty  destined   to  eontiinie  in 
t'nive  throni^h  all  the  vicissitudes  of  a  eenturv,  and  not  to  be 
iil-io-ated   until   1905.     I'.y   the  t.-rms  of  the   Concordat   tho 
•'.itholie   relidon   was   recognised   as  the  reliLrion,   not   of  the 
state,  but  of  a  gr.'at  i.iajority  of  the  i)eople  and  of  the  Con- 
Mils.     On  the  other  hand,  the  ehureh  consented  to  reduce  its 
>'  's  in  France  by  more  than  one-iialf  and  permit  the  French 
L'nvernment  "o  nominate  all  bisi  )i)s   for  the  approval  of  the 
I'ope.  while  the  hi.shops  in  turn  wer  ■  to  nominate  all  priests 
t'ir  the  approval  of  the  governnieni.     The  church  also  irave 
'piitelaim   deed  to  the   F)urchasers  of  the  estvtes  that  "had 
:   .n  taken  away  from  it  in  (he  Revolution,  and  the  i^overn- 
fiiciit  in  return  pled-ed  itself  to  -ivt  the  bishops  and  priests 
:i  tittini,'  maintenance. 


11,)  i\  TlIM   i-()(»T<n:i'S  ()!•"  NAl'oI.KoN 

Aliotll.  1-  all-l    'M'nr'Mlly    wdrcMlir   rlTrcf    dl'   tllc    ('(itlrordilt    \V,I«, 

th,.  r.-lufiilKMi  dl'  Smi(l.i.\.  Siiinl;iy  h;i'l  \»vu  jilM)li>hr,|  I.;. 
,|„.  ,v|,,|l,|ir;iii  ralriMl.ir.  ulii''li  | > rn\  n l''i  1  in  i's  [>\:vv  a  'lav  m 
ivs!  carl,  iiith  Ja\.  Sdinr  \s  it  liad  provrd  ill.'  folly  of  that 
;itt,.|M|,t  to  riiairjr  thr  sri  1 1  <l  liahitv  of  luaiikiiHl  wii'ii  !i«'  Sll'l 
til,'  11. 'w  .-aLihlar  \v..ul,l  •'liavc  to  li-lit  two  .'n.^iiii.'s  who  ii.'v.  r 
sirhl.  th.'  h.anl  and  the  sliiH;"  for  t.ii  .la>s  siiiviy  was  loo 
loll-  to  wait   for  th.'  w.'.l<ly  >hav.'  and  cliaii'-;.'  of  lin.n. 

L.'ti/ia  was  th.-  Iia|.i.i.>t  of  th.'  I'...iia|iart.s  at  th.'  tlioii-ht 
„\'  th.'  r.tiini  to  iiiothcr  .'liiinli.  "  N..w  I  ii...!  not  hox  sour 
.•ars,"  sh.'  -aid  to  Nai.ol.'oii.  "as  1  us.'d  to  in  or.l.'r  to  iiiak.' 
Noii'-^'o  to  mas>.""  11.'  ha.l  mil  f.ir-.itt.'ii  li.'i'  lialf-hrotlh'r  m 
ills  iM'j.itiatioiis  with  th.'  .hiir.'h.  th.'  iin.-l.'  who  tiiii-hl  him 
th,.  alphahrt  ;  .losriih  K.-rh,  haviii-  r.'-. 'liter.'.!  .  .•.•h'siasti.'iil 
lif.-.  was  to  III'  Aiihliishoii  of  Lyons  and  a  ranlinal. 

'Ih,.  tw.)  a.'hi.'V.in.nts  of  his  C.iiisulat.'  that  -riiv.'  NapoVon 
III.'  most  prill.'  was  his  n'storatioii  of  th.'  "' fallen  altars,  as 
h,.  sai.l,  and  th.'  a.lopti.m  of  th.'  ('ode  Nai>oleoii.  tliroii'jii 
whi.'h,  as  he  l)oast..l,  "-l  liasv  hallow. 'd  the  K.'volution  by 
iiifiisiiej  it  into  our  laws.  My  code  is  llie  Mie.'t  aii.'lior  wliiili 
will  sav.'  Fraii.e.  and  entitle  me  to  tlie  heiiedi.-tious  of  pus- 

t.'rity." 

He  .arly  set  a  eomiiiitt.'e  of  liis  coiineil  of  state  al  work 
draftiii'.:-  and  eodifyiii'„'  th"  laws,  an.l  he  r. morsel. 'ssly  luM 
tlH'iii  to  the  task  initil  tli.'V  had  fasliion.'.l  more  than  two  tlieii- 
saiid  arti.I.s  into  a  C.i.l.'.  This  li.idy  of  laws  was  t'ram.'d  to 
meet  every  eoneeivahl.'  o.-easion  in  the  inten-onrse  of  a  enil- 
iseil  comimiiiity.  .'V.ry  .piestion  that  eould  arise  between  iii.n 
ill  liiisiiiess,  ill  th-'  home,  in  th.'  street. 

Towerin-'  ahove  his  battle  monuments  and  his  arehes  ol 
triumph,  the  Co.!.'  stands  to  this  day  the  '..r.'atest  and  ninst 
.■iiduriiit,'  siii'-le  aehi.'vemeiit  associated  wi;h  the  name  .it 
Xapol.'on.  It  was  tin  granite  foundation  on  whi.'h  he  r.'an.l 
a  n.'W  France  amid  th.  sniokiim  ruins  of  the  old  institutions 
that  the  R.-volution  had  destroy. 'd.  a  France  that  has  with 
stooil  the  winds  ami  Hoods  of  a  stormy  century,  because  it  was 
founded  on  the  rock  of  law  and  order. 

The  tc  terini^'  nation  no  sooner  iiad  evoked  tiie  nuf^lily  ■•''" 


mS^£Bb 


'I'm:  I, AW  «;i\  i:i; 


141 


(if  Niipol.  (Ill  ;is  its  (Till,  h,  ,1,1(1    l''';iii.c  tio  sooner  l(  .iin.l   ii|>(iii 

it    than    she    U.IS    tilled    WiMl    (ll(;ic|     f(ir(lMHlill->s    III     \\l:;it     \Mill|(| 

ii.iplMMi    uli'ii    it    -!i()ii!i|    ill-    \vit!i(|r:i\Mi    from    Inr    Mi|,imrt. 

Wdllld    the    'rciroi-    of    tile     IiOlirhoilN    fctlirn  .'       Tllc    ,I|-I>t.ir|;its 

',  i   tlic  clnifcli  jiwiLiil   ii|Hiii   hiiii  ;i>  tli.'ii-  (iiil>    nIik  1.1    rnini   the 

IdnilCf,    while    the     re\iihltl(itli>tS    ;il,i|     ihe     |ie;|>;i||t     lil  1 1(|(  lu  I  lel'S 

fi '-Mnlc(l   liiiii  ii>  their   |i|Mteel(ii'   rnmi   the   hitter. 

lie  hiinx'll  \\;i.  Will  wiinMiiteil  m  (ieehnnej  that  ''e\ee|it 
l(ir  ;i  lew  h:ii;ities  who  e.iie  I'm'  iiiiihiii-  Imt  ;iii;ifeliy  jiiid  ,i 
\\\v  lidiiot  men  who  dream  of  a  spartim  re|Mihlie.  the  whole 
ii;itioii    is   erviiiii    out    lor   n    stroiej-   iind    >t.ilile   trovernnient. " 

Not     lllel'ely     the     ]  i|,|ee!|( -Id  efS     felt      their     (|e|M||denee     OM      Ililll, 

liiit  iill  who  wei'c  ^harlll'_'  m  the  new  seeiii'ity  and  prosperitN- 
<if  a  t!(lllri^l]in'_'  n;ition;il  hii^imss  I'oiind  th(  iiisehcs  limited  in 
tlicir  e;ilciilations  to  his  leiiyeiir  term;  tlen   the  aliyss! 

Tile  l-'irst  Consul  wjis  hardly  in  ofliee  hefore  a  movement 
!H"_'iiii  lo  lengthen  his  term  to  twenty  years,  hut  the  pro|)osal 
u.is  iiMiiiediatelv  am-iided  and  his  eleeiion  for  lit'.'  was  pri)- 
videi!  iiistrad,  with  Jiiitliority  to  iioiniiiate  his  siieeessor.  lie 
liiinself  struck  oiil  this  last  |irovision,  for  he  was  still  arLTii- 
iiii:  that  "heredity  is  irreconcilalile  with  i|ie  principle  of  the 
s.iv.i-.ii.riity    of   the    |ieople   and    illlpossilile    ill    h'railce."" 

III.  re  was  only  one  vote  a-rain.st  the  ("oiisiilate  for  life  in  tlio 
liii'iuiate  and  that  was  cast  hy  Cariiof.  Napoleon  was  wise 
ill  iiisistiii'.'  on  haviri'.'  the  law  siilmntted  to  a  r(  fereiidum  of 
'!•  ''(Iters,  who  indorsed  it  with  a  unanimity  ama/int,'  to 
Kiiulisll   spealdlli:    [leople:    Ves,   o.otiS.SS,")    \otes:    no,    S:{74. 

Tile  first  Coiisiil  for  Life,  with  an  annual  allowance  from 
the  treasury  of  sl,L'Oi).()()(),  felt  himself  a  Kin-r  in  all  Imt  the 
rrowii.  His  thirty-third  hirthday  was  e(  lehrateij  with  the 
I'diiiii  and  eaiety  wlii(di  I'aris  so  well  knows  how  to  display, 
iiiid  nil  the  tower  of  \dtre  Daiiie  there  hla/ed  throUL^li  tlie 
lii'-lit  a  <rreat  ticry  sta;'.  the  star  of  Napoleon "s  destiny. 

I'reppiiie'  the  sie-iiature  of  Hoiiajiarte.  he  l)ei.:an  to  siL:n  liis 
<'lu'i'>tiaii  name.  Nai'oleoii,  after  the  manner  of  a  royal  per- 
^niiaje.  lie  fairly  (dapjied  liis  hands,  this  ejaut  spi'iinir  from 
tlic  liiiiis  of  the  jteople,  as  lie  thought  of  himself  on  an  cqualitv 
•■.aa  ihe  (-rowiieii  pi-'ijiieS  01    i,iiio|ie:      "i  am  on  a  iesei  now 


142  IN  THE  FOOTSTKPS  OF  NAl'OLEON 


with  forriizii  sovoroi^.s. 


Th 


t'\ 


illK 


lit'i'tiiiic    only 

liiolicr  respect  for  me  now. 


They,  like  me,  are  nih'rs  for  their 
1    their    ministers    will    have    much 
The  Cisalpine  Kepuhlic  in  Italy 


also  called  him  to  its  presideiicv 


Anioni'  the   dissenters 


rom  th     life  Consulate  was  Lafa- 


yette, who  wrote  on  the  election  re-ister  that  he  could  noi  vote 
■for  an  unlimited  ma-istracy  unless  political  liberty  was  suar- 
aiweed.  The  patriotic  Mar.piis  aiM'<'i'le>l  i"  »  l''^^''i"  tli>-"'^l> 
to  the  First  Consul:  "  it  is  impossible  that  you,  (ieneral,  the 
foremost  in  the  ranks  of  those  -rent  men  who  are  but  rarely 
found  throuL'hout  the  a-es.  should  desire  that  such  a  revohi- 
tion  as  ours,  so  nuuiv  victims,  so  mu<-h  lAoodshed,  such  mis- 
fortunes, such  prodi-ics.  shmild  termin:;,e  in  the  establish- 
ment of  an  arbitrary  reL'ime." 

On  readinir  that  communication.  Napoleon  contemptuously 
exclaimed:  "Alwa.vs  thinkim:  of  Washin-ton,"  and  dis- 
missed the  writer  from  his  thouuhts  as  "a  political  nmnv, 
"an  idealoKue,"  who  is  "constantly  harpin-  on  America 
without  und.Tstandm-  that  the  Fr.'iich  are  not  Americans.' 
It  was  Lafayette's  last  etfort  to  i.res.Tve  the  R.'volution,  and 
;„.  entered  into  J  retir.>ment  from  •.liicli  he  did  no_  emersie 
while  Napoleon  remained  in  j.ower. 

.MiL'ht  he  have  made  himself  a  Washinjzton  instead  ot  a 
Ca'sar"  It  is  hard  to  say.  Ajzainst  factions  at  home  and 
foes  abroad  even  the  power  of  Napoleon  mif-'ht  not  have 
avail.<l  to  make  Franc.",  witli  its  traditions  of  royalty  and 
iurnorance  of  free  institutions,  a  true  republic.  But  how 
^riorious  would  have  been  his  failure ! 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

SELLING  LOUISIANA 

1803     AGE   34 

THE  Consnlato  of  Xapoloon  had  a  more  important  and 
lastinir  I'tiVet  on  the  T'nited  States,  a  country  iiOOd 
iiiih's  away  from  the  French  shoro,  than  on  even  the 
jit'Nt  door  iieij.'hl)our    of  France. 

The  peopk'  of  the  Xew  Worhl  are  likely  to  think  of  them- 
siKcs  as  hiiviuf?  been  mere  lookers-on  at  the  ^'reat  drama  of 
Xapoleou's  life,  with  a  vast  ocean  between  tliein  and  the 
tluatre  of  Ids  activities.  But  even  the  Atlantic  was  not  a 
iiKiat  hroad  eiiou<.rh  to  separate  them  entirely  from  his  for- 
tiiiii-s  and  misfortunes. 

The  earliest  treaty  made  by  the  First  Consul  was  a  treaty 
of  peace  and  friendshi])  with  the  I'nited  States,  which  was 
concluded  by  Josej)!!  Bonaparte  on  Septemljer  '30,  1800.  The 
event  was  celci)rated  with  brilliint  fetes  at  Joseph's  country 
estate.  [Mortefoutaine,  near  Chantilly.  in  the  Parisian  suburbs, 
wlicre  iit  an  elaborate  ban(piet  of  ISO  covers,  tlie  First  Consul 
t'lasted  "the  mai.es  of  the  French  and  Americans  who  died 
oil  the  field  of  battle  for  the  independence  of  the  Xew  World." 

The  Americans  present  ',>ould  have  been  .sorely  di.stracted 
Ml  III!  the  pleasures  of  that  feast  at  Mortefontaine  had  they 
known  that  within  twenty-four  hours  the  conqueror  o1  Italy 
■iiiil  K'aypt  was  secretly  to  ccnclude  a  treaty  with  Spain  which 
would  make  him  the  Jiext  door  neiiihbour  of  I'ncle  Sam.  By 
s\vai>piiiLr  a  little  Italian  kingdom  for  the  vast  territorj'  of 
Louisiana,  the  First  Consul  l)ecaine  the  pos.sessor  of  more 
si|!iare  miles  of  American  soil  than  the  I'liited  Stales  held  and 
also  became  the  master  of  tiie  irreatest  river  of  Xortb  America. 

143 


144 


IN  TllK  FUOTSTKl'S  OF  NArOLEON 


Whon.  on  Marrli  4.  IsOl,  Ti.oniMS  .TolVerson  was  '■i='U-nrato(l 
tliird   I'lvsiili'iit  ol'  thi'   I'liiird  Stat,  s. 


lii 


s  coiniti'vincii    w 


;is   si  ill    iuiKtt'aiit    (it 
Dcl'riisK,  whii-li  had 


ir    111   I 

tl    !■      . 


•0111  mon  with  al 


xistciicc 


of  tliat 


■■rw  inai 


If  on  the  first 


hiildiii  treaty  of  !.  .-.. _  .      , 

^1^,,  „f  ,lu.  ,„v.v.lin.  (Mnher.     At  the  (irst   rumour  ot  it    h 

l.,;.side,it  Jnd  hisealHia.t  uvre  .reatly  ^^X'T  \"]^Z 
spirit  of  warlike  resistant.  Haiued  up  m  u"  l.reas  s  of  h^ 
K..„tuekians  and  of  the  other  frontier  dwellers  in  the  Misms- 

"'•N:;!!!;;^  perhaps  sin..e  the  T^evolution."  .T-fferson  wrote^ 
-Has  produe.d   more   uneasy   sensations,      and  he   mstrnete. 
Koliert  K.  Liviii-ston.  tlf  Ameriean  minister  at  Pans,  boldlj 
to  sav  to  the  French  -ov.rimient  : 

.■nKT,.  i>  o„  the  dohe  one  sinde  >pot  the  possessor  of  which  is  our 
1,  ;.  v„,v  Oilfiir^       .  .  The  dav  France  takes  i.(i>- 

iiatural  eieiiiy.     It  i>  N''^^   "la.iii ,•  i    •.   ,  ,  ....^tr.iin   Iut 

.,.<s,on  nf  NVw  Orleans  lixes  the  sentence  winch  >  o  estrain  h  r 
;i,l  l„.r  l.w-waur  n,ark.  It  seals  the  union  of  the  two  nation. 
M  in  coninnction.  ..an  maintain  ..sehisive  possession  ot  the  oceai^ 
fI.;:,'  tilat  inun.ent  we  nni>t  inairv  ourselves  to  the  British  fleet  and 
nation." 

Nor    did    the    ('omniaiHler-in-..hirf    of    an    army    of    HOOO 
sohliors  and  of  a  navy  of  se^ell  ^^^"•sl'M's  Pa>'se  eveti  t  u-re  m 
his  .hallen...  to  tho  victor  of  Marcii-o.  but  ad  Id  tl.a       tlu 
lirst  cannon  which  shall  be  iired  in  Hurope     will  he     the  si;- 
„,1    un-    teariiio'    up    any    settlement    made    by    Irance    m 
Vmeri.'a  "     A  member  of  Napoleon  "s  cabinet  truly  remarUd 
ihat  if  a'nv  Kuropean  power  had  dared  to  address  such  laii- 
,M,aoe  to  the   First   Consul,  the   words  would    have  been   an- 
swered onlv  with  ouns.     lla,.pil.v,  even  the  Little  Corpora.  ■ 
'>4-IHmiiders  could   not    shoot    across  tlie  Atlantic 
■   Fortunately    no  other  man   in    America    betb'r  n    v^stood 
European  politics  than  the  then   i'rcsi.lciit.     \\hile  Napoleo 
went  ahead  with  his  project  for  plantim.^  h.mselt  at  the  motith 
of  the  Mississippi  river,  detVerson  ,we,,arc.l  for  the  inevitable 
outbreak  of  a  new  war  between  France  and  Kn-laiid.     Nearls 
six  months  before  the  rn|.ture  whieh  he  foresaw,  he  proposed 
to  Con-ress  that  a  special  missi.ui  be  sent  to  Fans,  and  Jaine. 
Monroe  was  chosen  as  the  commissioner. 


I 


» f 


SEL1J.\(;   Lulls    \NA 


u: 


I'^vcn  \viii!<'  Mniiror  was  on  the  sra,  lii'Oi''^!'  II!  callrd  out 
the  liiitish  militi  ,  ai 'I  .Napolmn  stoi'iiiil  at  the  l'>ntjsii  ;ini- 
hassador.  At  last  ulicii  the  Aiufricaii  ciivo.x-,  in  a  il()^t  rliaisf, 
\va^  lnirr\  ti{?  on  I'rdni  Ila  ''v  to  tlh'  i-apital,  Napol.'on  aii- 
iioiiiici'd  to  two  t'  liis  minisifi's  tliat  not  a  moment  was  to  bo 
I'lst  in  srlliiii,'  L  uisiana  to  tlif  I'liiti'il  States  liet'ore  tlie  im- 
pi  iidiiiir  war  slioiilil  burst  upon  him,  wlien  the  territory  surely 
Aon  '  be  lost  to  France  In  vain  his  minister  -f  marine, 
iii'ri(.s,  pr  »testPil  tliat  New  Orh'aiis  was  a  seeoiiii  Ah'xandria, 
liiat  it  could  be  made  more  important  tlian  any  otlier  port  on 
'I  ulobe  and  eertaiidy  would  lie  of  inestimable  value  when 
:i  '  :iiial  aeross  l*ananui  should  b(?  eoiistrncted. 

I''ar  into  the  niirht  the  three  men  debated  at  St.  Cloud  the 
il'stiuy  of  Louisiana.  After  only  a  brief  rest,  they  met  a^'ain 
at  daybreak,  when  Napoleon,  in  his  dressiurr  i-'own  and  with 
\.\s  i;ip  full  of  newly  arrived  London  despateht'S,  pronounced 
t!:r  fate  of  the  great  enijiire.  It  nnist  be  sold  at  once  or  it 
uoiild   bo  siuitcli.  li   from  France  without   any   compensation. 

After  two  '  eiks  of  chafFerinu  over  the  bit:<;est  land  trans- 
artion  in  history  the  entire  parcel  was  sold  to  tho  Ameri- 
i;iiis  for  .'till.'ioO.OOO  cas'i  and  a  remission  of  sjioliation  claims 
;iLr:iiiist  France  to  the  amount  of  .'};;{,7r)0.000,  or  a  total  of 
■s]. '.000,(100.  One  shearinj;  of  sheep  in  the  states  of  the  Lou- 
isiana purchase  now  would  suftieo  to  pay  the  oriirinal  price  of 
iliose  more  than  eiirht   hundred   thous.md  S(piare  miles. 

On  the  very  day  Napoleon  ratilied  tho  Louisiana  treaty, 
tiiere  lieL'an  that  war  between  France  and  EnL'land  wl  !eh 
I  loseil  only  at  AVaterloo  twel  c  years  afterward.  As  he 
parted  with  a  territory  vaster  than  his  sword  over  was  to  con- 
ipier,  ho  cOiisoleil  himself  with  the  retiectiou  that  he  had  aided 
a  competitor  of  tho  Ku'^lish  on  the  sea,  a  competitor  who, 
--"(iiiir  or  later,  lie  coniidontly  ]iredicted  wotild  humble  their 
liride.  When  the  ncLiotiations  .vere  comir  led.  and  he  eon- 
ti'iiii  lated  +he  hu|,'o  area  that  be  had  fairly  thrust  upon  tho 
Anierican  envoys,  who  had  been  charged  to  buy  only  the  few 
acres  comprised  within  the  limits  of  New  Orleans,  he  chuckled, 
"Tlicv  asked  nie  for  a  town  antl  1  have  eivon  them  an  em- 
pire.-' 


146 


IN  TIIK  FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLEON 


Tlic  last  scciio  ill  the  (Iraiiiii  of  ttic  Louisiana  sale  was  iti- 
actcd  in  the  Placf  li'Ariiirs  at  NfW  Orleans  the  week  bcforr 
Cliri'-tmas  in  the  year  1S(»:{. 

For  60,000,000  francs  in  hand.  Najiolfon  opened  the 
Tclioupitoulas  ^'ato  of  the  town.  A  little  foree  of  Amerieaii 
soldiers,  under  (Jeneral  Wilkinson,  marched  in  and  drew  ui> 
before  the  old  Cahildo,  which  still  ri.ses  by  the  cathedral  of 
St.  Louis  in  the  Place  (FAnnes,  now  .Jackson  S(|uare.  The 
treaty  of  cession  was  read  aloud  to  the  people  in  French  and 
Entrlish,  whereupon  Laus.sat,  tlie  coiiunissioi;  t,  standin'_-  on 
the  balcony  of  the  ('aliildo,  read  his  credeiitials  from  Napo- 
leon Bonaparte,  First  Consid  of  France,  and  (lovernor  Chii- 
boriie  of  the  Mississippi  territory  read  his  credentials  fmin 
Thomas  JetVerson,  I'resident  of  the  Fnited  States.  Laussat 
then  surrendered  to  Claiborne  the  keys  of  New  Orleans  aiid 
ex( 'ian;.'ed  etiairs  with  him. 

The  red,  white,  ar:d  blue  banner  of  France,  wliich  had 
floated  over  New  Orleans  for  only  twenty  days,  was  slowly 
lowered  on  the  tlairstafT  as  the  red,  white,  and  blue  of  the 
American  Fnion  was  hoisted.  Midway  of  the  pole,  both  flaL's 
paused  for  a  fraternal  moment  to  miniile  their  folds,  whili' 
the  trumttets  sounded  and  the  drums  rolled.  The  stars  and 
siripes  then  ascended  to  tlie  top  to  receive  the  salute  of  tlie 
artillerymen  and  musketrymen  and  the  tricolour  to  the  bottom 
rpverently  to  be  received  in  the  arms  of  fifty  Louisianians,  vet- 
erans of  the  army  of  France,  who  had  gathered  from  distant 
settlements  to  pay  homafie  to  the  last  banner  of  the  country 
of  ("hamplain.  Manpiette,  La  Salle  and  .\Ioiitcalm  to  wave  in 
sovereiirnty  above  a  spot  of  earth  on  the  continent  of  North 
America. 


ciiAPTKii  xrx 


A   DAY  AT  MALMAISON 

FIfAXCE  joy.,]  in  the   Consiilat.'  as  tli..  crlorioiis  sum- 
m-r  that   tolIow.Ml  li.r  lo,,,^  wir.t.T  of  ,lis,.o,it..nt 
,1      R  ,.  I  .•"'"  ^''';."7"*'''^"«  l"•'li»^'  tiMu-  for  tl.o  wounds  of 

Kos.nl,..  anstorrats  a.ul  frirsts,  l,.-  .Hsih-UhI  th.  f.ars  of 
'"•■.'■••I'nl.hcan  n.ass.-s  hy  ronfirmintr  thorn  forovrr  in  the  ,u,s- 
--.on  ot  the  property  which  the  Revolution  had  taken  from 

•"•  anstoeraey  and  the  chureh.  and  sohl  to  them 

I  >..  world  was  youn-.^  a-ain.  Fortune  had  shuffled  the 
'  "ds  and  fame  was  dealing?  n.-w  hands  all  roun.i.  Vouth 
was  u,  the  saddle.     The  private  soldier  an.l  the  stable  l.ovs  of 

-I'-niay    when  they  had  I  ardly  a  shirt  and  a  half  between 
'I-.'-:,    sudden  y    found    their    j.easant    nanu-s    ^dorilied    and 

;lp.sn>:^  the  lustre  of  the  dukes  and  marquises  and  counts 
<ii  the  ancient  nobditv. 

No  other  hand  than  Xapoleon's  ever  lifted  so  ,^reat  a  le.ion 
0  Kople  out  of  obscurity  into  position,  out  of  povertv  into 
'^mum,,.  lor  this  nuin,  who  faced  the  world  with  a"  heart 
-•    .■  >•.  never  ceased  to  take  a  boyish  pride  and  pleasure  in 

-"•'•  <iays      He  hunted  up  the  outcast  friars  of  the  over- 

l;-un  school  at  lirienne  and  conferred  offices  an.l  pensions 

I  '''■■'",  bestowin-  a  snuc,  an.n.ity  on  even  his  writin-  teacher 

y">  surely  had  small  claim  to  the  ^'ratitude  of  so  wretched  a 

•;">nan.     His  teachers  at  the  Ecole  u.   Paris  also  were  gen- 

..sly  remembered^  while  a  shower  of  favours  fell  upon  his 

;l     ne,.|d,ours  in  Corsica  and  upon  all  in  Valence  ami  Au- 

-  -''■  who  had  bestowed  a  friendly  nnd  upon  the  starveling 

'";f'"ant  when  he  was  stationed  in  those  towns 

'!'■  appointed  to  the  post  of  conservator  of  waters  and  for- 

147 


14S 


I\  TIN':   FodTSTIll'S  ol-'  XAI'OLKOX 


csfs  ♦111'  inoiintiiiiii'i'i'  wlio  I.m)  (lie  liaii'l  nl'  iu''!i  tliat  ri'^i'Ui'l 
Alutlnr  I.i'li/ia  lidiii  tin-  Ajari'iu  iiioli.  lie  priisioiird 
•  'aiiiilla  ilari,  his  olil  lustiT  iiinthtT.  tlif  tishcniiiin "s  wit'i' 
III"  .\,iaci-:ii,  ami  Wdiild  uladly  ha\c  cai'i'icd  licr  son,  liis  fo.stiT 
linitliri-  and  jdayMiati',  aloiiL'  with  him,  had  thr  yoiiiiL'  man 
not  run  away  and  joined  the  I'nitish  navy.  He  h;'o'if;ht.  his 
foster  sister  to  i'aris  and  introihn'cd  her  in  liis  court  to 
"show  what  heantilid  uirls  ( 'orsica  raises ;""  lie  married  JuT  oil' 
to  her  advantaec  and  stooii  L;()df;jtlicr  to  iier  l)aliy  boy. 

A  ealler  from  N'ah'nee  was  iitu'stioiied  alxiiit  e\ery  one  in 
tin'  jilaee  and  jiartieidarly  ahout  the  woman  win)  kejjt  the 
'"Three  i'iireons"'  in  the  Kne  pei-oilerie,  where  Second  Lieu- 
tenant iionajiarte  usid  to  eat  his  one  meal  a  day.  Ijearniiii,' 
she  was  still  livin'j-.  Napoleon  sent  In^r  +2(MI  for  fear,  lie  said, 
that  he  inij'it   in)t   ha\e  ]iaid  her  for  all  his  eups  of  cotT'ec. 

One  of  the  lirst  dehts  of  '.gratitude  he  diseliari:t'(l  was  in 
favoui  of  the  man  who  had  'ji\en  him  the  desk  in  the  war  of- 
liee  w  hei'e  he  had  the  opportunity  to  draw  up  his  pl-in  of 
eampaien  in  Italy.  When  the  old  official  responded  to  the 
summons,  the  First  ('onsul  lid  with  a  smile  that  roflccted 
his  ])leasure:     "  \'oii  are  a  senator!" 

"1  was  at  Toulon,"  was  the  mauie  password  at  the  palace 
door  foi-  army  n:en,  ami  even  Carteanx,  the  paintcr-(ictU'ra! 
wlio  had  lau'.^hed  at  Captain  Iionajiarte.  was  placed  on  the 
pension  rolls.  An  old  notileman  who  had  lent  the  inipecurii- 
ous  father  of  th.c  First  Consul  ji^l2r)  and,  of  course,  had  never 
been  repaid,  was  in  exile  and  poverty.  "  iioiirrieJ'in  ,"  Xii 
polcon  said,  with  real  enujtion,  as  he  held  in  his  hand  the  ap- 
pealin<r  letter  from  the  creditor,  "this  is  sacred.  Send  tin' 
old  man  ten  times  the  amoiuit  of  the  deht  and  luive  his  name 
erased  from  tlie  list  of  the  banished." 

Ka^'uideau,  .Tnsepliine's  candid  lawyer,  vho  had  advi.-;t"l 
her  a'^^ainst  marryini:-  a  iiian  with  notlinc^'  but  a  sword  and  a 
cloak,  ri'ceived  a  lucra:ive  post. 

I'lven  the  Innnhle  shopke;  p(M's,  who  had  Lnven  hini  credit 
wMeii  he  needed  it,  wej'e  honoured  with  patronaLre  in  prefer- 
ence to  more  fashionaitle  ami  prosperous  tradesmen.  Tli'' 
obscure  cohbkr  who  made  his  shoes  when  he  was  at  the  Eeole, 


A    DAV  AT  MAI.MAISOX 


ll!» 


lipcanio  tho  proii.l  liootmak.T  for  Mic  First  Coiisu!  of  Franco. 
Di'S  .Mazis,  liis  our  intijujitc  iiiridim  tli.'  [nipils  at  the  Kcoh'. 
thf  .\(""tli  who  Iriit  III,,  priiiiilrss  Coi-sirjiii  f||,.  money  to  tal;r 
liiiu  to  his  n'jiiiiciit  at  \'al,iicf.  wiis  in  .xih'  as  an  aristocrat, 
Imt  was  n'calhd  and  nccivrd  iin  inijiortant  oflicc. 

Tlir  stradily  iiicrra^in-  j.a'.'.-antry  oi'  tht"  Consulate  was 
oiitshinin^'  the  eeremonials  of  r(>yalty,  and  a  preseiitalio.i  to 
Xaiioleou  and  .Josephine  was  more  coveted  than  an  introduc- 
tion to  the  Hapshurus,  the  H.^hen/ollerns  or  the  (iueli-hs, 
Tlic  new  court  was  free  from  tiie  scandals  and  stilVnt  ,s  of  the 
"Id  ••ourts.  Not  only  was  there  oiiencd  under  the  Consulate 
■I  career  for  every  talent,  hut  !'or  every  L'face  as  well. 
I-'  auty  no  less  than  ability  liad  a  fair  field  and  no  favour. 

.\ithou!.'li  wh.Mi  .Vapulcon  weiit  to  take  up  Jus  residence  in 
tiic  Tuileries,  mo.st  of  the  di<,'nitaries  in  the  in-ocession  had 
to  lide  in  street  eal)s  witii  lueces  of  paper  pasted  over  the 
iicen.se  niuiihers,  and  there  was  hardly  a  suit  of  livery  left  in 
the  city,  J'aris  (piiekly  resumed  !ier  place  as  the  capital  of 
fashion  and  u'aiety.  Josephine  is  said  to  have  had  GOO  irowns 
HI  h.  r  wardrobe  and  tlie  women  of  two  worlds  moved  up  their 
waist  lines  in  conformity  with  her  uii'dle.  -"rhe  ereat  thiui,' 
tor  I'aris,  a:\l  I  well  know  it,"  Napoleon  said,  "is  to  furnish 
'iances,  eooKs  nun  fashions  to  Kuropc"— that  bloody-handed 
I'aris  which  but  yesterday  was  the  n^il  terror  of  tvrants  the 
earth  over! 

I'h.'  courtiers  and  servitors  of  the  iiourbons  were  wel- 
■iiiiied  to  their  old  places,  (iort'eous  ushers  reajjpeared  witli 
'ii'ir  rods.  Judges  and  lawyers  put  on  their  robes  apain. 
l'''<>l<h'  began  to  powder  tlieir  hair  and  some  tnen  even  ven- 
tiuvd  to  sporf  (jueues  and  rufHes.  "Monsieur"  and  ".Madam" 
'hove  out  tile  usiirpiiiir  "Citizen"  and  "Citizene.ss." 

I  lie  'I'uileries  and  .Malmaison  were  the  e"ntres  round  whicli 
tlic  new  life  of  the  reborn  nation  revolved.  Tiie  former  ri.ses 
1>  the  Seine  no  more,  haviiiLT  lieeii  loiii:  at:o  I(>velled  in  a 
ii;  nzy  of  revolution.  I^ut  France  to-day  cherislies  as  a  patri- 
"tic  shrine  the  home  of  .Xapoleon  and  .Josephine  at  Malmai- 
-nii  in  t!ie  pristine  ..dory  of  the  Consulate,  when  tliev  still  tvpi- 
:"d  tile  majesty  of  the  !^■publie. 


IN  Tin:   FOOTSTKl'S  OK  NAroLKoN 


That  iiioiicst.  suli'irhiiii  tiin'cstnry  stone  viiia  ;it  Rriiii  in 
lilt'  Xiillcy  (if  tlir  Sciiii'  hftui'cn  St  ('loud  ;ni(l  Si,  (icriMfiiri 
fii  Liiyc  ;iii(|  (inly  ci'jlit  uv  nine  miles  from  tlie  centre  of 
i'aris  looks  more  like  !lie  country  Imuse  of  :i   nierchiint  tlniii 

the  Seilt  of  a  t,M'eilt  I'lllef.  .I(ise|  illirie  selected  it  while  her  tllis- 
li;ind  was  in   I'luyjit   and  the  purchase  price  was  only  $:i2,0<>0. 

I>ut  she  lioutrht  adjoiiiin'j:  lands  and  laid  out  a  park  that 
was  tit  for  a  faii'y  priiiciss.  Oidy  a  little  of  this  I'cinains, 
however,  the  estate  lia\inu  lately  lieeii  cut  up  into  villa  i:ai'- 
deiis.  One  of  the  i.ew  streets  that  crosses  what  was  formerly 
the  park  hears  the  name  of  the  '{ue  Tuck,  in  recoLrnition  of 
an  American  from  New  Ilaiii|^hire  who  was  iiitluentiul  ii' 
the  (h'VcKipinent   of  tl:<    nciuhlMinrhood. 

Malmaisoii  is  trcasui'cd  now  amoiii:  the  prii'cless  national 
numunients  of  Fiance,  i'ilu'rims  from  all  over  the  world 
pour  in  sti-eams  ihrou'.:!!  the  shady  gateway  of  the  chateau 
and  into  its  halls  and  chamhers,  siirhini,'  over  .losephine's 
harp  witli  its  lu'okcn  sti'inus,  and  lookini:  with  curious  eyi  s 
at  .lo-M'ijhiiie's  hed  whereon  she  died,  her  ornate  washstaiid, 
her  uorixcous  dinner  sei'vice  and  costly  ornaments,  mostly  the 
tzifts  of  sovereigns  and  (iovei'nmcnts.  her  work  table  and  cm- 
hi'oidcry   frame. 

The  cedai'  she  [ilanteil  still  casts  its  slunh'  out  on  the  lawti. 
where  the  tents  used  to  he  pitched  as  in  an  ai'iny  camp,  and 
where  in  his  shii'tsleeves  N'aitoleon  played  "jirisoner's  hase" 
with  hilarioiis  vouiil;'  men  and  scieamiitf;  youn^:  women, 
'''lie  shi'phei'd's  hut  and  the  Swiss  dairy  have  vanished  fi'om 
the  park;  the  marhle  uods  and  nyiiiiihs  that  .Josephine  set  ui> 
are  nio.s.sy  with  a_'e  :  her  cascade  and  hike,  on  which  slie  lav- 
ished a  fortune,  are  tionc  dry,  hut  tlie  brid^'e  still  spans  the 
now  arid  lied  of  t!ie  brook. 

I!er  theatre  no  loniicr  .stands  amoiiLT  the  trees,  where  the 
consular  court  were  wont  to  yatlier  and  be  entertained  by  the 
I'amous  players  of  I'ai'is.  There,  too,  sonic  of  the  'jreat  actors 
in  the  drama  of  the  Napoleonic  cim  used  to  |>lay  at  amateur 
thcatrica's,  with  .Tose|ihiiie  as  the  prcsidini:  trcniiis.  and  when 
.Napoleon   ]irankislily   hissed,  she  announced  tlu't  any  person 


A    DAY   A'l'  MAI..MAIS().\ 


151 


'!is>^al!«t!'M!    wit!)   fhr   iMrformjiiicc  couM   h;ivr    lii.-,   nionty   rc- 
liiiiilid  iit  llh'  dnor-. 

'I'lif  pfitlirst  inrtnntiiils  of  .Toscpliitic  in  licr  fiini'ifiil  Ivli-ii 
,iii'  'if  llowti-s  ami  sliinlis  slic  imiKirti'd  Iroiii  hfi-  native  Mar 
inii(|ii<',  a  few  of  wIikIi  ^o  on  hlooniinu'  as  wlicei  she  watdifd 
over  these  friends  of  her  ehildhoo  and  watered  them  with 
hir  own  hands.  She  drew  on  thai  West  Indian  ishmd  for 
iiiiny  kinds  of  seeds  and  jilants.  I)iit  lie'jued  in  vain  for  her 
tiiolhrr  to  I'oiiie  to  her.  S!ie  si'ot  her  the  hands(,rne  ehaph't 
wlueh  tiie  I'ope  >_'ave  lier,  anil  llorteiise  drew  for  hir  t:rand- 
mother  a  portrait  of  .Xapoh^on  walkitit:  in  the  pari<  of  Mal- 
iiiais(»n.  Mine.  Tasrhi'r,  liowever.  eliose  -o  live  on  iti  the 
kitchen  of  tile  mined  hoiisr  at  Trois  Islets  alone  with  a  net,'ro 
servant. 

•  lo>ephine  called  tlie  <,'arden  at  INIahnaison  her  family,  and 
lirr  favonrite  salon  was  in  a  hit:  >_'reenhonse,  wliere  she  held 
court  in  the  midst  of  frat'rance  and  heauty.  Botany,  per- 
haps, was  her  one  certain  accomplislniient.  She  could  neither 
siiitr  tior  play  any  instnunetd,  foi'  the  harp  with  the  iiroken 
^•rinu's,  which  th(>  pilirrims  to  .Malmaison  .see  now.  only  serves 
'h  recall  the  prosaic  fact  that  its  inisti'css'  repertory  was  lini- 
iicl  to  a  siu'jlc  air.  She  dahliled  a  hit  with  tapestry,  and  she 
and  her  friends  made  the  eoverin'.'s  for  some  of  the  furiii- 
lure  in  the  house. 

Hut  she  was  most  at  home  with  Ikt  flowers.  One  of  her 
pleasures  was  to  array  her  lithesome  self  in  .simple  India  mus- 
'i'l  ill"!  lead  her  hushand  alont:  tlie  windiiiL'.  hloom-em- 
hniidcred  paths,  for  he  always  vowed  that  the  prettiest  si<jlit 
'iir  mortal  eyes  was  a  tall,  slender  woman  in  white.  strolliiiR 
HI  a  leafy  lane.  She  liked  to  hewilder  liis  botanical  isjiio- 
'■■uiee  with  her  knowledge  of  thi'  luimes  and  habits  of  all  the 
thin-s  in  her  little  Moi'al  world,  and  we  are  told  that  she  wept 
ill  her  m'cat  Paris  palace  when  he  kept  her  away  from  Mal- 
iiiaison  in  the  flowei'iim'  time  of  hei'  hyacinths  and  tulips — a 
^iii-le  tulip  bulb  had  cost   her  $S0(). 

The  i'Mrst  Consul  "s  own  special  favourites  in  the  park  wore 
llif  L'a/.elles  which   had  been  l)rou<.'ht  from  E^rypt.     lie  used 


MICROCOPY    RESOLUTION    TeST    CHART 

ANSI  and  ISO  TEST  CHART  No    2 


1.0 


I.I 


13.2 


l^|2.8 

(is   

'-  1.4. 


2.5 
2.2 

1.8 


1.25 


1.4 


A     .APPLIED  IM^GE     Ir 


■65i    tas*   Mam    Street 
■'octiestef,    Ne«    rcrk         Uf^."!  i 
.?16)    482  -  0300  '  Phone 
716)   288  -  5989  -  Fa« 


152 


I\  THE  FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLEON 


to  Miiiiisc   liimsi'lt'  l)^'    t'iT(liii(;   tl 


them  inordinatclv  luiul  (if 


icm.   1111(1   lie   liui^lii'd   to   fiiul 
;itiiiu'  out  of  his  snuff  box.     Some 


'iiourtloiis.  or  wild  s1i(m'|),  he  impoi'tcd  from  Corsica,  disap- 
pointed him,  however,  by  rejeetin;,'  his  hosjiitality  and  run- 
iiin;:  away. 

Josephine's  rare  sonir  hirds,  at  wliieli  lier  siiouse,  in  a  spirit 
of  rude  tensiiiL',  aime(i  liis  iiistol  sliots  from  a  chateau  win- 
dow, no  h)nt:'er  sini,'  in  the  trees  of  Malmaisou,  wliose  barks 
bear  tlie  buHet  sears  of  the  (ieniian  invaih'r  in  the  F:'anco- 
Prussian  AVar.  For  alien  armies  liave  twice  invaded  Najio- 
leon's  dooryard — in  ISL")  and   in   IsTO. 

The  ])ell  of  the  old  h'euil  eliiiich  still  sends  its  peals  upon 
the  air  as  in  the  days  when  it  was  music  to  the  ear  of  Na- 
poleon. "Ah,"  the  man  of  state  siLdied.  "that  reminds  me 
of  the  bells  of  [^.rienne.  I  \\as  happy  there!"  Tlie  bell, 
however,  was  not  his  only  I'eiiiinder  of  Hrietine.  He  had 
appointed  Fr.  Dv.piiis  one  of  the  old  friars  and  teachers 
there,  to  be  the  librarian  at  Malmaisou.  altliouLrh  there  really 
wa.s  no  library  in  the  house,  and  Fr.  Duimis  never  was  seen 
to  touch  a  book:  but  his  one-time  pupil  enjoyed  seein<:  hiin 
about  the  place.  The  porter  of  the  Urienne  school,  too,  was 
brouu'ht  to  .Malmaisou  and  installed  in  a  like  post  at  the 
chateau. 

The  woodland  workroom  of  the  First  Consul  is  yet  in  the 
park,  a  little  vine-clad  retreat  from  the  frivolity  of  the  youn? 
people  who  tilled  the  chateau  with  their  mirth.  But  his  pref- 
erence was  a  tent  in  the  Lrai'den,  and  one  of  his  eampaiirn  tents 
is  there  now.  In  such  a  ]ilace  he  carried  on  at  .Malmaisou 
much  of  the  business  of  his  widespi'cad  r(>alm.  "I  cannot 
understiiiid  men,"  he  said,  "wlio  can  sit  by  the  stove  and 
work  without  any  view  of  the  shy." 

Mme.  tie  Kemusat  said  that  lie  was  only  fitted  tor  a  tent  or 
a  throne,  where  everythirii_^  would  be  ])ermitted  him,  for,  she 
tells  us,  he  did  not  kiiow  how  to  enter  or  leave  a  room,  make 
a  bow,  sit  'lown  properly  or  converse;  he  could  only  ask 
abr'iipt  (|Uesti(uis  or  make  impertinent  comments.  ^Ime.  de 
Stail,  on  the  olhei"  hand,  was  so  pleased  by  an  inter\Mew  she 
held    with    him    that    she    reporteil   the    remarkable   dialoiiue. 


A   DAY  AT  ^[ALMAIS().\ 


V,  lllrll 


.)o.srj)hiii(:'  coiid. ■limed,  liowevcr,  as  an  exhibit 


ion  of  litT 


I 


iisnaiKl  s   viiI'MMtv  : 


•''Jeiirral,  whoiu  ,io  you  rcu'ard  as  tlir  u'lvatcst   woman   in 
the   worlil  .'" 

■•Slir.  madam,  who  has  i)onic  thr  most  ehihlivii." 
"Hut  whom  do  you  estfrni  liiuhcst  .'"' 
"She  who   is  tile  best  nou.sckfcper." 
"it  is  said,  General,  you  arc  not  i'ond  of  women?" 
"I'ardon  me,  madam.  1  am  wvy  fond  of  my  wife." 
Aithou-h    Stfndlial   tells  us  tliat   Xaj.oleon's   look  became 
.xcessivcly   -cntle  when   iie  spok.'  to  a  woman,  his  wizai'drv 
u;is  pr.'tty  sharply  confined  to  the  limits  of  his  own  sex  anil 
left    women    i-omparatively    nnenthrallcd.      He    treated    them 
too  much  like  soldiers,  often   walking'  down  a   line  of  loveli- 
iH>s  as  if  he  were  on  a   militaiw   inspection.     Sometimes  he 
I'kiytully  pinched  the::.-  ears  till  they  shrieked,  reprovin-  them 
it  their  cheeks  were  not  rouueii  to  liis  taste,  or  ehidiin:  them 
tor  wearin;.''  okl  gowns. 

"Vou  are  too  pale,"  he  said  to  .Mine,  de  Remusat,  as  if 
ivhiikini-'  a  -renadier  for  a  spot  on  his  coat;  "two  thin-s 
;ire  very  becomiim  to  women,  rouue  and  tears."  To  anotlicr 
•  <imaii  he  exclaiiiUHl.  "H.'aveiis!  How  red  vour  elbows 
■  'Vl  '  To  another,  "What  an  uglv  headdress!"  .Mine 
•liuiot  was  too  defiant.  "Kememlu'r,"  he  admonished  her, 
■■;i  woman  cea.ses  to  charm  whenever  slie  makes  herself 
!•  ;iivd." 

Vrl  this  same  .Mmc.  Junot  herself  assures  us  in  her  ventre- 
il  ".Memoirs"  that  it  is  impossible  to  describe  the  charnrof 
ins  coimteiiance.  the  ma-ic  of  his  smih'  when  he  was  animated 
l',\  a  feeling  of  benevolenci — "bis  soul  was  upon  his  lip.s  and 
111  his  eyes."  She  describes  his  brows  as  formed  to  wear  the 
'•niwns  of  the  whole  world:  bis  hands  as  worthy  the  euvv  of 
tile  most  eo.|uettish  woman;  a  white,  .soft  skin  covering  his 
tmisclcs  of  steel. 

It  is  certain  he  was  not  lacking  in  one  respect:  his  air  was 
•'I'-Jidy  regal  and  ins  app^^arance  had  -rown  majestie. 
Vieh  of  the  time  until  he  was  twenty-four  or  twentv-five.  he 
'lid  not  have  enough  to  eat;  but  in  the  Consulate  he  was  no 


154 


IX  THH  F(30TSTI:PS  OF  NAPOLEON 


1()Iil;(M'  It'iiii  iiiid  liunLiry-ldokiii^'.  On  tlic  contrnry.  liis  hollow 
rlicfks  iiiid  rouiiilcd  iiitu  ;i  hi'coiniii'j  fiili;f>s;  liis  cniiipirxioii, 
having'  lost  ils  yellowness,  was  clear  and  iV.  .>li ;  his  hody. 
l)luni|)  hnt  not  yet  jiortly.  now  tilled  out  his  elothes. 

How  tall  was  Xajioleon.'  In  the  lirst  place,  he  was  hy  no 
means  „s  slioi't  as  many  historians  have  mistakeidy  assiuned. 
Some  of  the  most  careful  writers  have  fallen  into  error  on 
this  point,  throuLih  an  inaceuiate  ti'anslation.  'i'he  transla- 
tors of  Constant  and  of  .Mai  t  du  Pan  say  he  was  live  feet 
three  inches,  while  the  ti'anslator  of  I'aron  de  Meneval  says 
he  was  live  feet  two  iiu  lies.  Tliose  latter  fi^'ures  are  most  <.:en- 
erally  adopted. 

It  is  true  that  hy  the  French  measurement  he  was  tlve  feet 
two  inches  and  four  lines;  hut  the  French  loot  is  loniivr  than 
the  Knulish,  and  .Xapoleon's  actual  heiulit  was  live  tVet  six 
and  one  third  inches.  His  uri'y  overcoat  hanuiuL:'  now  in  the 
Hotel  des  Invalides  is  itself  four  feet  three  inches  in  lenulli. 

His  stature  therefore  was  not  far  from  medium,  accoi'dinu; 
to  the  modest  standai'ds  of  Latin  ludions.  His  hahit  of  stoop- 
intr,  however,  with  his  hands  hehiud  him,  and  his  short  neck 
made  him  appear  shorter  than  he  was.  He  did  not  have  the 
vanity  of  small  men  to  make  themselves  seem  larger  and  em- 
ployed no  ti'ick  to  enhance  his  hei<.'ht. 

His  shoulders  were  broad  and  his  trunk  was  loni;-  for  hi'^ 
leus,  which,  howevei'.  were  well  shaped.  He  was  vain  of  hid 
small  feet — his  treasured  shoes  and  slippei's  look  like  a 
woman's — of  his  delicate  hand  with  its  taperimi  tin^^ers,  and 
of  his  teeth,  albeit  they  were  hardly  wortiiy  of  his  pride. 

His  bust  was  a  handsome  one,  in  spite  of  heingr  mounted  on 
an  inade((uatt'  pedestal;  well  desinned  for  the  gallery  of  im 
mortals.  The  pi'ofile  was  modellid  to  adorn  an  imperial  coiii- 
ap;e,  while  the  i:r,.;it  head,  twenty-two  inches  in  circumference, 
which  had  alarmed  his  family  in  his  infancy,  the  hiuh  broad 
forehead,  the  luminous  J2:rey,  cade  cyos,  the  straiuht,  sensi- 
tive nose,  the  smooth,  ivory  skin  were  the  delight  of  ai'tists. 
many  of  whom,  however,  chose  to  uive  him  dark  hair  rather 
than  his  own  line,  tlioujrh  thin,  chest luit  locks.  We  .see  .some 
lack  of  strencth  in  the  iDe.Iei-  lip,  as  it  was  drawn  in  his  early 


A  DAY  AT  MALMAISOX 


i; 


I)otiraits.  but  wliot;  ho  roso  to  mastery,  the  painter;;  and 
-■iilpTors  corrected  iheir  predecessors  in"  this  detail,  or  i)er- 
li.ips  iin[)roved  on  nature  lierself. 

The  .■xi)rcssi()n  of  Ids  face  was  so  active  that   it  was  like  a 
iiioMn-picture  film  of  his  mind.     He  could  still  sndle  when 

'"■  ' """■  <'onsul,  as  softly,  as  sweetly  as  a  -irl,  hut  he  could 

no  hjULier  lauL;ii. 

If  angered,  n  sort  of  cyclone  suddenly  tore  across  his  coun- 
('■'I'nice  and  convulsed  every  feature:  a  tempest  swept  the 
Ineu  :  the  ey,.s  blazed;  the  nostrils  swelled;  the  mouth  con- 
tiacted:  the  haiul  seized  the  oireiider  or  smashed  the 
L'lldcl  furniture  of  a  palacv  cluunbcr.  Hut  the  storm  passed 
.IS  Muickly  as  It  came,  and  left  him  as  calm  as  a  summer  har- 
h'Mir  alter  a  downpour  of  rain.  Xotwithstandins,'  these  facial 
iiurricanes,  he  insisted  that  his  passions  never  rose  above  his 
n.  ck.  and  his  physicians  corroborate  him  with  the  report  that 
Ins  blood  was  not  LMven  to  rusliincr  to  his  head. 

He  had  the  weak  desire  of  one  who  had  sutfered  from  pov- 
•ity  and  privation  to  see  himself  surroumh'd  with  a  disphiy 
"t  luxury  and  splendour.  But  dosephine's  almost  childish  e.x- 
trava-ance  often  made  him  wince.  The  mi.stress  of  Malmai- 
sou  had  far  more  taste  than  thrift,  and  she  i)ursued  her  love 
of  pretty  thinu's  there  and  in  Paris  with  a  li-htdiearted  dis- 
regard of  the  cost. 

Till'  tra.lesmen  were  <|'iick  to  discover  her  weakness  and 
i>'ey  upon  It.  Xapoleon  had  forbidden  them  admission  to 
li'-r,  but  laden  with  th.'ir  +emptinnr  wares  thev  penetrated  and 
crowd(.d  her  apartments.  When  at  last  their  clamours  for 
payments  came  tu  his  ears,  he  ordered  Hoiirrienne  to  investi- 
i-'iite  the  nuitter.  Jos<'phine  conf.'ssed  to  the  secretary  that 
siie  owed  +240,()()0,  but  be-cjed  him  to  conceal  half  of  the  stap- 
i-"rinLr  total  from  her  husband  for  the  present,  in  order  t"o 
^]r,\iv  her  his  violence. 

The  pile  of  bills  astounded  Bourrienne;  thirtv-ei'dit  new 
hats,  lieron  plumes  to  the  value  of  :-i:i60,  and  perfumes  to  the 
v.ilue  of  if  160  111  one  month.     The  secretary  called  in  the  credi- 
■"iN  and  insisted  on  euttinu'  their  extortionate  eVartres  in  half 
"Mr  man  who  had  made  out  a  bill  for  $16,000  received  only 


.l.".G 


l.\  TllK   KOOTSTKPS  OK  NAl'Oi.KON 


."i^TCOO.  lull  \v;is  still  iihlc  lo  roiitrrat iilatc  liiinsfit'  on  Imvinu' 
ina<lr  a  lilnTal  pi'olit. 

'I'iiat  was  ii(»t  l)(Mirricniii'"s  oii!\-  uiiplrasaiit  fxpcrifiicp  ot" 
tile  saiiic  kind.  Wlim  Naprilroii  lifstnwcil  on  a  sisttT  as  a 
wiiidiiiii  izil't  a  iH'cklacc  lidoii^iiiLr  to  •lusipliiiic.  she  loiiL't'd  to 
rfi)larf  the  oi'iiami'iit  with  soint'  [icarls  she  had  seen  which 
once  hfldiii^'cd  to  Marie  Antoiiii'tti'.  'j'hc  jirirr  was  ;fr)0,0()0 
cash,  and  not  da-inu  to  imiposc  sucli  an  extra vaiiancc  to  Na- 
poleon, she  was  aide(l  to  iiial<e  tlie  purchase  hy  (leiieral  T'ler- 
tliier,  wiu)  proceeded  to  extoit  the  needed  anioiuit  tfoni  a  l)iL' 
army  contrai-tor. 

After  ucttinu'  the  coveted  pearls.  .Jos(  jihiue  could  not  snm- 
inon  the  courage  to  wear  them  and  let  them  he  seen  hy  her 
hushand,  who  I  loui'rieinie  tells  us  was  somewhat  of  a  busy- 
l)ody.  Finally,  unahh'  longer  to  resist  and  conceal  the  heau- 
tit'ul  iieckhice,  she  implored  the  seci'etary  to  stay  uear  Ikm* 
and  ilefend   her  in  the  Iik  vitahle  scene. 

"How  tine  you  ari'  to-day. ""  Napoleon  said;  and  tlien.  just 
as  she  had  ex]>ected  and  I'eared.  lie  adi'ed,  "What  is  it  you 
have  tliert' .'     AVhcre  did  you  uet  tho-.e  jiearls?" 

"01  Mon  Dieul'"  •Iose|iiiine  replied  in  her  most  carossim: 
tone.  "  Vou  have  seen  them  a  dozeii  times  hel'ore.  It  's  the 
necklace  tho  Cisalpine  Rei)ul)lic  eave  me.  Ask  Bournenne: 
he  will   tell  you."' 

"  \\'S.  (feiiei'ai."  the  second  conspirator  said  in  oorrol)ora- 
tion  of  the  first,  "I  recollect  very  well  seeinu  tins  necklace 
hel'ore.'" 

Still  Josephino  was  worth  all  she  cost  Napoleon.  Oreat 
sta'-'c  director  as  he  was,  his  court  never  would  have  liceii 
mucii  moi'e  than  a  camj)  except  foi'  the  assistance  of  his  wife. 
He  said  in  Italy:  "I  win  battles  while  -Josephino  wins 
hearts." 

lie  bound  toL:etlier  the  French  factions  in  law  and  justice 
and  izlory -.  hut  socially  the  old  France  and  the  new  were 
united  by  the  tact  and  charm  of  dosepliine.  It  was  in  her 
drawiiiir  room,  Iodl;'  befoi'e  they  woidd  cross  his  threshoh'.. 
that  the  returniuGr  aristocrats  first  consented  to  niin^le  with 
the  men  and  womoi  of  the  K'volution.     She  filled  with  flow- 


A   DAY  AT  MALMA[S()\ 


1 


)( 


ors  tllc   liloody   clljisni    tllilt    ll;ii] 

tlii'iii  to-ftlici-  witli  Jicr  smile. 


ir.rjic  (|u;irrfl    and   was  lirfsrlf  t 


iiii:  (liviilrd  til. 'in,  and  d 
■'lit'  I'ai'rd  nothiiii.'  \'i>v  tl 
||<)  ainiiil 


It   lias  no  mort'  rcsciitiiicnt  t 
iioliilit 


ITW 

irir 
I'll-  (|iiarrt'lliii;,'. 


lan  a  pi-vo 


n."  X, 


Uioli'Oii  said. 


y    lii'L'an    to   -atliiT 


alioiit    lirr. 


As  till'  woiiini  of  till 
sli.'  liid  not  ror,„.t  li,.,.  ini-n  N  hi  tin-  ihirk  davs  and  uvpt 
wlii'M  liiT  liMshiind  dri-u-  thr  lin..  on  .Mm,..  Talli'im  Iht  rom- 
V.unou  in  prison.  Xa|.ol,.on  assmvd  !„.,•  |„.  Iik,.,l  i,..,.  loviltv 
.■iMd  was  s.,rry  to  l,an  old  fri.nds;  hut  a  iirw  ,oiii1  had  'to  ho 
wry  card  111  of  its  iiioi'al  torn-. 

,   •\'';' ■"'>■  <!"•  -li-' "•  of  thi-  romin,.  dynasty  lia.l  falhn  upon 

•"v.pliin..  and  Foiich.-  had  ivad  aloud  to  tin-  First  Cmsul  in 
till'  lUvsimiM'  of  otli.Ts  a  ucwsnapi-r  ivport  that  Iht  divonv 
was  i-ontimiplatrd  Ihm-mum.  sh.^  had  not  prrsmt,.,]  hrr  hushand 
v.-ith  an  hriv.  Josi.phinr.  too,  had  fiv,|nrnllv  hn.,,  mad,,  to 
listi-ii  to  th,.  saiii,.  ,lis,pii,.tin.j  siiL-.'stioii.  11,.,-  new  position 
in  th,.  world  was  costin-  hw  ih-.u;  and  s!i,>  was  not  a  -,.rv 
i.iMhitious  w-oinan.  If  sh,.  still  ,li,|  not  lov,.  hrr  hushan,!  sla. 
hiid  yrown  tond  onou-li  to  h,.  loyal  to  him  and  to  sulV,r  the 
pamrs  of  jealousy   fi'om  his  disloyalty. 

As  the  dy,.r's  hand  is  siil.iiuid  to  what  it  works  in,  a  man 
'Miiiot  o.Kcrcis,-  a  di-spotism  witiiout  di'v,.lopino.  a  ih-spotic 
!.|"nv.  Xapolron  Iiad  l),.,/omc  a  law  unto  hini.s,.lf  in  all 
'^ni-s  i:r,.at  and  small.  '"I  am  not  a  man  lik,.  other  men," 
!•  trankly  told  .Mm,.,  do  K,.musat.  "ami  moral  laws  ami  tho 
.us  ot  proprii'ty  ,io  not  apply  to  m,.."  As  his  iron  power 
over  nations  ui,-n.as,.,l,  he  rould  no  lon-er  f,.el  hound  hy  the 
silken  ti,^  of  matri.nony.  ami  ev,.ry  day  th,.  poor,  little"  wife 
saw  her  ,>a^]o  soarin<r  fartlu'r  and  farther  awav  from  her. 

The  net  of  intrigue,  drawiiiL'  almut  li,.r  ,iav  i)v  ,]av.  ^n-rw 
finer  and  finer  in  its  mesh.  To  ^'ain  mon  intliieiie,.'  in  the 
hostile  counsels  of  the  Uonaparte  family,  slie  promot,.,!  the 
niarriasie  of  Ceneral  Murat  with  Caroline  J^onaparte,  ndv- 
iiiLT  on  .Miirafs  frieiidsliip  to  aid  her.  In  increasing  de's- 
iK-ration  ami  tliouuh  luvin-  her  dearly,  sh..  sacrilii-e.]"  ..yen 
liiT  own  dauo-hter  to  save  herself.  An.xiousjy  promoting  a 
lurtlier  alliance  with  th,.  Honapartes.  sh,'  ma.le  a  mad'h  that 
was  no  match  at  all  betw,.,.n   llort,  use  and  Louis  lionaparte 


158  IN  TIIK   K(.»()'rSTi;i'S  OK  N'AI'ULKON 


Tlicy  liatrd  ciK'h  otlicr.  iuid  tlic  Iiriilc  wj'S  led  uccpiiiir  to  tlic 
iilliif.  Thrir  (ifst  IkiIin  liciiiLi  :i  1m>\-.  .foscphirii'  wclcoiuril  hiiri 
iis  ;i  (•;iii(li(i;itc  lor  tlir  siii'ccsnJoii  and  iic  \v;is  clii-i^tciicil  Nii- 
polcoti    ('iKII'lcS. 

rir  proliiilily  was  not  .losfpliiiic's  only  mo- 


'I'lic  I, 


icK  (M  ati  li 


ir   aillbltioiis  : 


tivi'  i'df  rounsclliiiu  liri'  liiisliaiid  a'jaiiifst  dynast 
\tvy  likrly  a  Wdinaii's  iiati\c  in'iidriicc  was  also  anioi:^  her 
pi'oinptinus.  Hit  inart  sank  luiw  as  in  the  days  of  licr  court- 
ship when  silt-  marked  tlic  wild  tli^dits  of  his  fancy  and  am- 
bition. 

Once  Xapolfon  asked  licr  to  tell  liini  liis  defects  and  slie 
roi)lied,  "J  know  otdy  two:  weakness  and  indiscretion.  You 
jjerniit  yourself  to  he  inilueni'cd  liy  pei'sons  who  an'  only 
seeking'  yonr  downfall,  and  you  are  so  fond  of  arizuiiifr  that 
you  let  youi'  secret  thoughts  escape."  He  fondly  took  her 
in  liis  arms  as  he  ailnntted  the  eorrci'tness  of  jier  diagnosis  - 
and  put  aside  hn'  woiiiaidy  intuition.  She  warned  him  auain 
and  aLTaiii.  as  sh,-  told  Thihaudcaii,  that  "two  thiii'js  ruin  nun 
— weakness  and  andiitiiui."  lint  she  complained  he  would  not 
discuss  jxilitics  with  her.  Uid  a  man  ever  diseus.s  his  plunges 
■\vith  his  wife  .' 

SeatiiiL'  herself  on  his  knee  and  ninninu'  her  hand  throu'_di 
his  hair,  she  said  to  him:  "I  entreat  you,  Bonaparte,  do  not 
make  yourself  Kinj.'!'"     !5ut  the  husband  Lrciitly  and  smilinj^ly 
dismissed  her  like  a  child,  •'(.'ome  now!     You  interrupt  me  — 
leave  me  alone  I""     l-Jouri'ieniie  I'ejHirts  the  interview  and  also 
Josephine's   later  apjieal    to  him,   when   he  told   her  that   he 
feared  Napoleon  could  not  be  dissuaded  from  placinir  a  crown 
on  her  head.     ".My  (lodi  Hourrieiuie,"  she  replied,  "such  an 
ambition  is  t'arthest  from  my  wish.     Try  to  prevent  his  mak 
iiiLT  himself  Kini:'. "'     The  secretary  confessed  that  lie  had  al 
n'ady  exhausted  his  influence  to  thwart  Napoleon's  purpose 
and  had  reminded  him  that  bein._>'  childless  he  would  have  no 
one  to  whom  to  beiiurath  the  tlirone. 

".My  kind  friend."'  Josephine  ea^icrly  inquired,  "when  yoi: 
spoke  of  i-liildreii,  did  he  say  anythinii  to  you?  Did  he  tall; 
of  a  divorce.'"  Mourricnnc  lowei's  the  cui'tain  on  this  sceir' 
with  Josephine  ciyin;:',  "(iood  (iod!      IIuw  unliai)py   1  am!" 


rii.v.rTFif  XX 


F 


now  Tin:  i;i;imi!lic  died 

RAXCK,  under  Ihe  Coiisuliitc,  .|uickly  horaiiio  tlio  envy 
•1   tlji-  nations. 

It  was  an  wii  of  uncxanipl.ni  praci-  and  ordiT  All 
in.n  were  (>(|iial  l.cfoiT  the  law  and  Tive  to  do  wliat  they  lik.-d 

•nly  provided  tlu'v  h't  polities  aloue.  l',.asant  an.!  uobiJ 
w.re  sale  m  their  homes,  th.^ir  propi  rties  and  their  businesses 

•Ihe  sta-e  eoaeh  went  without  a  -iiard."'  Tiie  eoiintry 
w;ixed  [.rosperoiis  beyond  all  pr.M-ed.Mit.  Taxes  were  li-ht 
Mild  the  national  !)oiids  rose  in  two  -olden  vears  froni  twelve 
tranes  to  sixty-live. 

Vet  the  Republie  jterished.  The  operation  was  sueeessful 
''it  the  patient  died  ! 

'i  lie  Consulate  was  a  brilliant  aiul  benevolent  despotism 
II  took  away  only  th.-  people's  (hvam  of  liln-rtv  and  their 
i'i-.il  ot  a  free  repul)lie,  two  boons  they  never  had  enjovii 
It  <,'ave  th.-m  in  exehan-e  the  aboundin-  n-erdus  and  ener<ry 
nt  Xapoleon,  wlio  .served  them  better  than  thev  eould  serve 
tlit-iiiselves. 

A  wise  and  ptire  despotism  is  the  wisest  and  purest  of  .^ov- 
•  nunents.  Hut  its  fatal  detVet  is  that  it  dries  up  the  sprFu-s 
ot  Its  wisdom  and  i)urity,  public  opinion.  As  the  Firet  Con- 
sul waxed  more  masterful,  the  French  people  sank  into  a 
'lu.nl)  subserviency  until  he  eould  no  lon-xer  hear  their  voic 
As  he  irrew  stroni^er,  they  prvw  weaker,  until  thev  tr.'mbled 
■ )  the  thought  of  standinu  alone  and  at  last  surrendered  them- 
>'lves  wholly  to  his  iron  will. 

Many  look  back  upon  the  Con.sulate,  with  its  centralisation 
ot  power.  Its  revival  of  official  ceremonies  and  its  inau-nra- 
Tion  of  the  Le-ion  of  Honour,  as  one  lon^  craftv,  cold-blo^oded 
'onspiracy  apainst  the  Republic  on  the  part  of  the  First  Con- 


IfiO  T\  Till':   I'<)()TSTi:i"S  OK  N.M'OLKuN 


sill,   who,  (|;iy   liy   (l;iy.   w;iii!y  ;iii(l  sicadily  ciTi't    towai'il   tlir 

tll|-<lllr. 

This  opinion,  however,  drives  too  nnieh  creilit  to  liis  fore- 
si-lit,  a  (piality  in  whh-h  he  w  as  si  I'aii'.'i'ly  delirieiit.  For  this 
man  was  mil  tli,.  aiThil'-rt  of  his  own  lortinirs.  His  jihins 
Were  o\ei'rulcil  in  marly  evrr\'  iiii|iuftant  instance  and  he 
was  )dwa,\s  the  iMvaliiie  of  ein-umstaners.  He  had  ehos.  a 
to  he  a  wfiirr  i-athii-  than  a  sohUri'.  to  Lio  into  the  iTal  estat.' 
business  rathrr  than  into  the  Ii'rx oliit ion.  to  he  a  Corsieaii 
ratlier  tiian  a  l-'ivmhman.  to  lie  a  diillmasttT  lor  tlie  Sultan 
of  'I'nrkey  I'atlii'r  than  sii've  in  the  army  of  tlu'  lirpulijie.  to 
srek  mai'tial  -hiry  in  Asia  iMtlai'  than  in  I'lnrope,  and  hnally 
to  retuiai  to  th.'  .\rm>    of  Italy   rathei-  than  he   l-'ir^t  (.'onsul. 

Oner  lie  was  installed  as  dictator  of  I-"rance,  in  Xovcnihei', 
17!!!'.  the  throne  was  the  natural  it'  not  inevitahle  eoal  of  the 
tlietatorsliiji.  It  w.is  as  iinnecessary  for  him  to  eoiispii'e  for 
the  crown  as  for  the  consulship,  as  unnecessary  for  him  to  plot 
aLiainst  the  KepuMic  as  au'ainst  tlie  Directory.  He  frankly 
said  to  the  council  of  state:  "  Fi'aiice  is  not  yet  a  repiihlii': 
whether  she  will  he  one  is  still  hi^ddy  problematical;  the  next 
li\e  or  six  _\ears  will  deci(h\"  That  was  true,  and  nine 
Fren(dinien  out  of  ten  knew   it. 

Kneiides  as  well  as  friends  |ila\ed  tlicii'  part  in  liurryimr 
the  Kipulilic  toward  tlie  Kmpire  and  .\apoleon  toward  the 
throne,  all  classes  and  evi'uts  coiispirini,'  to  tlie  same  end. 
Bourbon  plots  supplied,  indeed,  tiie  stronizest  ur^'unient  for 
iiiakini:  the  cliaiiui'. 

The  old  royal  family  in  their  exile  persisted  in  the  foll.v 
which  had  lost  them  their  kimrdom.  It  was  tiaily  s;iid  of  the 
Bourbons  that  in  theii'  misfortunes,  "they  learned  nothing.' 
and  foruot  nothiiie. ""  Failinir  in  their  armed  trea.son  ai:ninst 
their  country  as  allies  of  .iealous  forei^'ii  nations,  they  de- 
scended to  the  next  step  in  their  dee-radation  and  tried  to 
bribe  their  way  bai'k  to  the  throne.  When  N'apoleou  came 
they  found  a  man  they  could  not  buy. 

Aftei'  he  became  First  Consul,  the  pretender,  Louis  XVIII, 
youiieer  bill* her  of   ',ouis   XVI,  wrote  the  yoiine;  ruler,  bcL.'- 

.riYl..'       r,M'      til..      l.,^t       fill'/-!.,,.      .111,1       llllll.tK-       ..^l-^ll...      !>;...       *n      nr,..,,,      ll  i  Q 


now  Tin:  Ki;i'(  i:ij.'  i,i|.;i, 


itii 

'"     IH«      idllllllrs    ol     \mir    IflcliiU  'I'.,    tl,.,)     I  ,     .. 

.1  ....  •  iiiini's,  loriiJll    li;iM'   ;i|it|c;i      t  riirri 

1-ono    S,.Lon,s,,,.,.sonor,.H.p,.o,,l,.n.,.n,,.d^^^K^ 
"''■  •      ,V'"   ""'^'   "•"   ^•■•■'<  ^"y-Uu-u   1„   K,,,n,.,..     To.|„      , 
;.;,.'   7'"''.''"-»otn.npI..  „,„.„   lnn,,n„  ,,.„,,  ,,„,,,.      S,;' 

;^r:;,;';;:i;T;/''^''':'''^^ 

fMSMir,\    \\  III    iciKlcr   \f)u    jlistlrf 

i.^lu.ir.N.spair\lu.   Iw,,,,,,ons   ,l,„n   sank   to  ,1,..   ,„v..I   .,f 

'      •      "   '"-    Vi[,ol,.o,,  s    m.st.riul     nil...    th-    .ountrv    w;,. 
;    ';    '•;";"■"«'  ''"'i  tlu.  n,.„inn  n.unit..d.     Fran,-.  ,„...,„.,-    | 

Tl-Ho,,rho,>sfoun.Ith,.n.s,.lv,.s  without   .,,   a.tiv.    ,,rU- 

••r-Ms.       1    ^     ''P^-0">"suaytot .(-n.   in  th.  w,,,- 

I   -;t  IMKUI     hs.Inv.r,  a   v.t.Tan  who  ha.l   h,.,.„  w,th   h.m 

-.1    .  ..Hi  u    oui  h..  ha,|  ni.iaun 
■l""""fb    <••   watrr  cart,   standi,,.,'  a-n.ss  th-  st,v,.,       vvh..r 

:;'-o,,|,ad.i,.u.Mttoo,,osid.^(-..sa,^.xasp!.;t.il 
;;y^wh,pp.l  ,,p  his  ],o,.ses  a,,d  drov..  on  at  a  ^ 

''''^^os™dsan,nl..,.,,ai,,,a,.hi,,eonth,...a,-t  ,xph,d..r 

<  -sar  had  dnv.n  so   fast  as  to  r.n.ov.  his  .lis  ,n.   ,  ih-d 
p.'iss,.n?Pr  beyond   ha,-n,-s   road,     hut   s,.v,.,",l    n,  ! 

;'-t  had  b..nk,,h.da,..i,,, a,,; .;:;::;: '''\,r:,;'-^^^ 

^ons  wonl,    n-soi-t  to  svu-h  a  n,n,.d..,-o„s  „,..asu,v   althon,        h 
-n,,st.r  01  poli,.o,  Fou<.h.>    insisted  it  was  a  ,.o;;"-    . 
■    '•l-<»'  K-an  plot.     -They  a,-e  the  Te,-,.o,-ist.. -  th.  F,rs    Co 
^'.1  u,.s.sted,      w,-etehes  stained  with  hlood.     The  Hon,.hoL  ,,, 
Pb    a   skin    <i,sease,    bnt    the   Terrorists   are   an    inten.al 

In  his  determination  to  terrif\-  the  Terrorists.  I'm  ^r^^  v— ^ 


u   Hito  ])enal 


nanishTiie,it   without   a, 


i.v  evidene,.  against 


162 


IX  TIN-:  i'()()Tsri;i's  ok  natom'.ox 


fli'Tti.      AfttfUiinl    it    \v;is   ilisco\rri'<l    tli;il    tlifv    hiiil    iiottiiiiu' 

to   llo    Witll    tli"    llllrniJll     lll.lr||i||t',    Jllnl    thill     it     UilS    lllr    \Mlfk    III' 

tin-  rt)\jili^ls,  twi)  ol'  wlinm  wi't'c  ilrti'i'tnl,  conviitid,  iiinl  in 

(MUti'll.        ^'^t,    so    [li'I'sistrllt    UIIS    Napolron's    SllS|iiriiiM    tliilt    tllr 

Ti'i'i'ofists  wiTi'  ;i  iiiriiiicr  to  Ilis  L'OM'i'miHiit  III'  ijid  not  r-crall 
the   poor  exiles   iVniii   tlieir   in'ison  (■(iionv-    in    the   trii|Mes, 

Foiichi',  whose  (|iit\  it  was  to  uateli  the  eiiernies  of  the 
First  Cotisiil,  hilt  who  always  l<e[it  the  sharpesl  wateh  on  tli.' 
First  ("oiisii!  hiiii'-rlf,  lioasteil  in  at'lei-  y>ars  that  he  hired 
Hourrieniie  to  sjiy  on  his  ehi.  I".  The  I'oiiilpoii  eotispiratois 
also  passiil  around  the  wird  that  '"the  seeretary  is  for  sale," 
llowe\er  that  may  he,  the  tctider  spot  wliieli  Napolfoii  always 
ki'|)t  for  (tid  friends  and  assoeiates  was  sore  wo'inded  liy  tlie 
oldi'st  and  closest  of  them  all.  He  had  lieeti  '_dad  •<)  share 
his  |>i'ospei-ity  with  iioiii'i'ieiine  as  freely  as  they  had  shared 
tlieir  povi'rty  at  Urienne  and  in  the  streets  of  Paris,  He 
;.'av(>  him  apartments  in  the  'I'liileries  and  also  eave  his  family 
an  independent  establishment. 

DisdaininL'  to  limit  his  friend  and  cof.fidant  to  a  fixed 
salaiy.  he  invited  him  to  help  himself  from  their  eonuiioii 
cash  drawer  in  the  palace,  and  no  account  was  kepr  hctwccii 
them.  He  tiattered  himself  he  coiild  share  with  him  oven  his 
fame.  "Ah.  Uourrietinel"  he  proudly  exclaimed.  "You 
also  will  he  immortal, " 

"How,  <ieneral.'"  the  friend  asked. 

"Are  you  not   m.v  secretary.'"' 

Poor  liourriciuu*  could  not  content  himself  with  this  re- 
fleeted  immortality,  and  loviiifr  what  his  chief  despised, 
mone.v.  he  yielded  to  the  one  sin  Xapoleon  always  refused  to 
compound  in  his  own  immediato  hou.schold.  When  at  last  a 
ease  in  court  disclosed  the  secretarv  as  a  partner  of  iroveni- 
iiieiit  contractors  and  his  avarice  thus  liecame  a  public  scan- 
dal, the  First  Consid  dismissed  him,  teHini:  him  as  he  slamnieil 
the  door  in  his  face,  "Never  let  me  see  you  aizain." 

"Why!"  Napoleon  L'rieved  to  .Meiuval.  the  assistant  who 
now  took  the  plaeo  of  the  unfaithful  seeretar.v.  "I  have  known 
that  man  since  he  was  nine  years  old  I"'     Still  wishinji  to  spare 


Il(»\\    TIIK  Ki;ri  l:|.|(     DiKij 


l(!.{ 


'""  »'"■  '"II  ..H.tsun.  .,r,iis._M.H-,..  I.v  „i1i,.i.l|v  nrinonri,v,I  rl,.f 
Itniirnrnn,.  |„„|  h.,.,,  pru,.„,t,  ,|  t..  „ti,rr  ,|uli.>.  .-m,,!  u„|,..,| 
If  was  nut  |„nu'  unlil  l„.  ,l„l  |„.l  ,-n,|,lnwn.,,t  |,,,  |,„„  H,,,' 
i-  W'Mil.l  ,M;t  sr..  I,n„.  ;,n,l  il„.v  n.-vr  „„(  ;,.,un  -x,...,,!  „n 
-n-  (.rr.'iMOM.  \vl:.-„  U.H.rn.nn.  u.-.s  M,.nuH,n.,l  to  ,,.,,.|\,.  l,,s 
'•o.nmi.ssinn  ;,s  nnnistrr  ,-,,  ||,.,,nl„, ,■■,■.  u  h,.,v  for  ,n;,nv  v,-,rs 
'"•  '•"Mlinii.-.l  In.  ,...,.„|,-,noMs  .■,,„i  ..n,i..,I  |„.  ..nospirin./ w,t  i. 
H."  MoiirhoMs  ,,,-an.st   l,i>  lorl,..„rn,.,   r,i.n.i',nHl   hrMrfiH-tor 

II"-  l''<MU-l.o„s  n.v,.,.  ,vl..„t,.,|  ,„■  .v,t,,|  i„  ,),,i,.  ,^,,, , 

|>..s..  tosfnkr  ,|ou,i  tl„.  ,Mau  that  st,H.,l  in  thw,-  uav"  Th.-v 
^H/...l  ,„,nn  tl...  ,vop,.n,nu  of  tlir  u,-,-  iMtuv.n  K„^Han,l  anil 
'"".'•'■  "-^I"'""-  'li"ir  -ran,!  plot.  It  \u;-,u  to  t.nfoM  it>,.|f 
:"'",";  ";V  :'""""■'•  •"■  l-^"-  ^^l'""  an  K„d,sl.  naval  otli,-.,. 
'".'"■'I  ■'  '"tl''  iMfty  or  Frrncl,  foyalists  at  thr  loot  of  a  str..,. 
';'"l""tl..-.-oastof.\orn,an,iy.     Th.  I^hI.t  uas  a  ,v„,arkahlo 

'  "■"''':'■•  ■'  "'■"'""  >'a.nr,|  (;,.or-rs  C, „|,,|,  ^yUo  lia,l  hfawlv 

i-id,t    1.1   th..  nnaltst   ivhrllions  of  La  V.n,!,,.  in  tlir  tiuu'  oV 

'li'    Krvohiti.m.     (;..or.„.s  was  join,,!   I.y  .i,.,,,.,,,!    I'irl,...M'u    a 

;'"li'''  "t    Xapolron    in    f|„.   nnlitafy   sriiool   of   Hri.ni.r   an.l 

:'"'   ■■'    -''"'•'■''    '"    ""•    Hrvnhifion.      |'i,.l„.-,.u-s    part    in    ll,.. 

i  i"f    was   to   indue..   (;,,„.ral    Motvau.    th,-    foivn.ost    n.iiitarv 

'"  •"■"';l"'-.t""l''-  th,.  First  Consul,  to  mtrr  into  th."  ooiispi,-- 

•    -  .ni.l   uin  ov.T  th..  support  of  th..  annv.     On,-.-  Mon-au's 

-"1-ratiOM    was  assur...!.   two   of   ih..    iJourl.on    princ.s    the 

.'"","   •    -^••'"'^  '""'  ^''"   '>"!«■  '1"   1-n-y.  w,.,,.  to  .onu.  from 

I.' -  a.i.l,  p,.rsonally  ,|..,n   in  waylayin-  Xapol,,,,,  on  the  roa.l 

"  MahnaisoH.  a.i.i.  hav.n-  ah.lu.-t..(i  or  assassinatni  him   s..i/,. 

!  '■  '_:<)v,.riim..nt  in  th..  nam.,  of  Louis  XVIII 

l'i'-h..L'ru  found  .Mon.au  iva.ly  ...lou-h  to  oonspir..,  I.ut  not 

•"■  t""  '•O'-'-lions.     "Do  with   Honaparf..  wliat   v.ni  will  '•  h.- 

;"l-      I'l't   .io   n.,t  ask   m..  to  put   a    Hourl.on   in   his  place" 

■'■tlM'l.'ss  Aloivau  soon  foun.i  hinis..lf  locked  up,  for  spies 

■'  ••■  lollcwiner  the  ..onspira..v  st..p  hv  st..p 

\..poh.on  wished  abov,.  al'l  to  ..at'di  thr  P.ourhon  princes 
■I  l>-  post,..!  Savary  at  th..  cliff'  on  th..  \.,rman.lv  coast  to 
I-  Ml  wait  th,.,...  for  tl...  princ.jy  pr,.y.  ]],.  was  fill,.,!  with  a 
•■■'■<"-inus  passion  for  rcwuir.'  on  th..  rovnlist^      '•  \ ,.,   r  ..  .i,.,. 


1G4 


IN   TlIK   FOOTS  ri:i'S  ()[■'  NAroLKON 


to  lio  liojiton  to  (Ifiith  in  tlir  Miv.-ts:'""  lip  domniKlrd.  '*T  will 
pitih-.ssly  shoot  the  vci'.v  liot  of  thrsi'  ]n'incfs  who  shall  fiill 
into  iny  hands." 

.Moit:i\i  haviiii:  (lisaii|'i»intiMi  ihmi.  tiowcvrr,  the  princes  diil 
not  L'linili  up  ou  tiic  clitV  whciv  Savary  sat  watchinu'  like  a 
terrier  beside  a  rat-lioh'.  Not  eoiihl  tiie  hiding'  plaees  of 
(I'eoi'ues  ami  I'iehe-i'ii  he  found  initil  I'ai'is  suddenly  shut  down 
on  tiieni  like  a  ti'ap.  Tli.'  uates  of  the  (dty  wen-  elosed,  thr 
walls  were  jiat'olled  and  no  one  was  permitted  to  leave  lli<' 
eapital.  I'icheuru  was  liuntrd  down  and  thrown  into  i)rison, 
where  he  sti'anuled  hinisrlf  to  deat'^  in  his  eell.  Next  Oeortzes 
was  found  and  taken  in  the  str.'cr.  Imt  not  until  he  had  sliot 
(lead  one  of  !us  pui'surrs  and  srviously  woi.nded  another, 
lie  and  nin-'tei'ii  of  his  aeeoiiipliees.  ineludint:'  a  marquis  ami 
the  heir  to  a  dukeiloiii,  we.c  tried  and  condemned  to  die 
.Moreau  was  si'Utenced  to  two  years'  impi'isoninent,  hut  Na- 
poh'on  jiardonci!  him,  on  condition  that  he  <,'()  to  the  United 
Stati'S  and  stay  ihei-e. 

.Meanwhile  a  Hourhon  tu'ince  had  been  eau'_dit.  In  the 
midst  of  the  excitement  atteiidinu  the  man  hunt  in  Paris,  a 
repoi't  was  received  that  the  younu'  l>uke  d'KiiLihien,  a  dt - 
seendaiit  of  the  Liivat  Conde.  was  liviiie  in  the  duchy  of 
Bailcn.  a  few  nul.'S  from  the  i-'rcndi  frontier,  •..•here  he  was 
eonspii'ini;'  with  Oeneral  Diimouriez,  another  (ienei'al  of  the 
Revolution,  who.  like  Tiehe^'ru,  had  heeii  houuht  up  hy  the 
Houi'hons.  It  was  further  reported  that  the  I'rince  had  actu- 
ally made  secret    visits  to   I'aris. 

A  si|ua("  of  thirty  horsemen  was  sent  into  Baden.  alti.C'di 
it  was  not  Fi'eiich  soil;  the  Duke  was  kidnapped  and  hurried 
to  Paris.  While  lie  was  on  the  way.  however,  it  heeanie 
known  to  the  <rovei'innent  that  he  had  not  been  with  Dumou- 
rie/  at  all.  and  it  was  seen  th.it  there  was  no  evidence  what- 
ever that  he  had  any  pai't  in  the  jilottinLis  of  the  other  braneli 
of  the  Hourhon  family,  it  was  tiaie  that  he  had  served  in 
foreien  armies  a'jaiiist  l-"rance  and  was  then  in  the  pay  el 
Knuland.  but  he  was  not  a  con^-  iiMtor. 

Najioleon's  I'aLie,  however,  was  now  beyond  oontrol.  The 
fiejit  had  become  a  Corsiean  vendetta  between  the  Ponapartes 


IIUW  TIIK  KKIMIILIC  DIED 


IG5 


111(1  the  Doiirboi 


IS,  aiul  IK)  K-iiis!ii;iii  of  tl 
(i   III 


(ic  slioiiltl  1m'  spared. 


-omr  of  tliosc-  aroir.l  tlir  First  Consul  tm-lit  stan.l  a-hast 
:.!  thr  thuii-lit  of  sln.Miim-  royal  l.loo.l.  but  h.  .j.rla.vd 
■N'-itlirr  IS  ,„y  bloo,|  .litrhwatr,-:--  To  th,.  traflul  appeals 
"1  thr  tcmliril  .loscphin,-,  li,.  .•onimaml.Ml,  '-Bi-mii,.'  Vou 
;;!■.•  a  child .'"  ^        • 

I-;'"'  i"  a  Maivh  artrrnoon  nf  l,so4,  H,,.  ,,,ptiv,.  Diik,-  was 

': ''"';-^'  '"to  tlu.  I,iu.,  „vy  Ion, vs.  of  V.nn.nn.s.  lour  miles 

■:-n  the  heart  of  Paris.  Althouuh  li,.  was  yet  to  he  ,,laeed 
"li  'rial,  his  -ravr  was  already  duu^  „,  th,.  moat  on  the  other 
M--  ol  the  eastl...  At  kIx  oVloek  in  the  niornin-  the  Duke 
^■-  l.nl  out  ot  tlu-  door  of  th,  <,,,th..  the  door  that  looks  upon 
•.wi;,t  IS  now  one  of  tlh-  prrttii'st  and  most  popular  of  the 
lorest  play-rounds  of  Paris,  and  down  into  thr  moat  There 
lie  was  {.laeed  With  his  bark  to  the  wall  of  the  tower  and  fae- 
•"-  tlh.  hrin-  s.pia.1.  His  n.pi.st  that  a  pri.st  b.  summon..d 
"  'it''''i'l  liuu  was  i-norrd.  but  whm  hr  aslo-d  that  he  mi-iit 
;■  permitted  to  send  a  loek  of  his  hair  to  his  swerllmart,  the 
l>iiehess  d,.  Kohan.  the  eommander  of  the  s,piad  ..rumv  in- 
;iu nvd  of  his  men,  "Has  any  one  of  you  a  pair  of  seissorsr' 
llie  srissors  w.T.-  found  and  the  lock  was  elipped. 

I  IK'  Dr.ke's  last  appeal  to  his  exeeuliouers  was  for  them 
■i"t  to  miss  their  aim.  and  in  another  instant  he  fell  before 
the  ia  al  volley,  pi.reed  thron.h  the  h.^art.  The  eorpse  was 
Push..d  into  the  .apin-  hole  beside  it.  but  there  to  pause  onlv 
a  Mv  years  until  the  ivtuni  of  the  Rourbons.  when  it  was 
<hMmrrred  and   laid   to   rest   in  the   eha|)el   of  the   urim  old 

I'JIstlt'. 

A  small  slender  eoliimn  of  mai'ble  was  eneted  in  the  -'rassv 
moMt  at  Th,.  t,m,.  th,.  bo,Iy  was  ivmov,.,l,  ami  th.-iv  it  stiil 
stands  under  th,.  uaz,-  of  th,.  morbi,l  an,l  th,.  ,.uri,.us,  niarkin.- 
""■  -spot  wl.,.r,.  tl...  last  of  the  Hous,-  of  Cond,".  iVll-an,! 
Wilms  too.  m  th,.  tw,.|fth  y,.ar  of  its  au,  th,.  R,.publi,.  f,.li ' 
fnr  It  was  W..11  saiil  of  th..  P.ourbon  n.nspirators  that  thev 
'^aiiM.  to  jTiv,.   Pran,.,.  a   Kin-  and  ^axv  h,,-  an   Km,K'ror        " 

Ihe  bloo,l  of  th,.  I!.,urbons,  and  in,],.,.,]  of  all  the  rovaltv  in 
-.'''•"P''.  ran  ,.ol.l  with  iiorror  at  th,.  n,.ws  of  how  tli,-  ])uk.' 
'  f.ii'jhi,.n  had  di,.d.      Th,.  .■..nrt  of  th.:.  ''•/;-■    A !..■.-,-..-..!..-.-.   r  ..i 


166 


IN  THE  FOOTSTEi'S  OF  XAl'ULEUN 


Pctrosrrad  wont  into  monrninL'   mikI  the  Kinir  of  Prussia  re- 
coiled troiu  Napoleon  into  ;iii  alliance  with  Kussia. 

Paris  met  the  cNrnt  with  niixcil  t'eeliiitrs.  Some  protesr- 
iiii:  pei'soM  coined  his  whispered  dcnnnciation  of  the  killiiiL' 
in  a  nieiiiorable  phrase,  "It  is  worse  than  a  crime — it  is  ii 
blunder!" 

The  eveninir  of  tJie  tragic  day  was  a  silent  and  gloomy 
occasion  at  .Malinaison.  The  ?,train  was  not  broken  until  tin 
comjiany  had  risen  from  diinier,  when  Napoleon  himself  In 
jran  1()  speak  of  the  inevitable  ci'Uelties  wiiich  history  eliarucd 
a!:ainst  r\ilers  from  the  time  of  the  Roman  Emperors, 
abruptly  concludinu-  with  the  exclamatory  declaration:  "Tlicy 
wish  to  destroy  the  l\evolution  in  attackin<z:  my  person,  for 
T,  1,  I  am  the  Revolution!" 

At  once  tlie  su^m'stion  was  flashed  abroad  that  the  onl\ 
security  for  the  peace  of  the  eoinitry  and  the  security  of  Ihr 
new  order  aizainst  the  old,  lay  in  providing?  an  hereditary 
succession.  Fouche  and  his  police  hastily  diverted  their  cu- 
erizies  from  huntinu  down  ])lotters  against  the  Fii-st  Consul 
to  forwardinj;  a  plot  of  their  own  auainst  the  Republic.  Five 
days  after  the  deatli  of  the  Duke  d'Eniihien.  several  electoral 
coUeues  obediently  resi>onded  to  their  instructions  and  laid 
at  the  feet  of  Napoleon  their  ai)i)eals  that  his  authority  miirht 
he  perpetuaied  in  his  family. 

The  i:reat  consjiiracy  that  was  still  agitatiuij:  the  countr.' 
served  well  to  make  the  nation  feel  its  dependence  on  one  mor- 
tal life,  which  mieht  be  cut  olV  in  an  instant  and  leave  tiic 
country  plunged  in  chaos.  "This  work  we  do,  this  money  we 
risk."  the  people  ai'e  represented  as  .sayin<r,  "this  liouse  we 
build,  these  trees  we  jilant — what  will  become  of  them  if  Na- 
poleon dies.'"  Establish  a  dynasty  and  the  royalist  assassins 
would  see  the  u.selessness  of  strikiuL'  down  the  head  of  tlif 
jroverinncnt,  with  a  lone-  line  of  heirs  standini!'  behind  liim. 
and  would  cease  to  disturb  Ihe  land.  .Moreover,  set  up  ii 
throne  and  monarchial  Europe  would  no  lou^'er  band  against 
France  as  a  menace  to  kin}.;s. 

The  Republic  was  dead— lone'  live  Napoleon ! 


riTAPTEU  XXI 


TWICE  rROWXF.D 


l,^(i4_l,mi 


MiE    :il-3n 


ALL  tho  world's  a  stapro,  and  for  twonty  brilliant  soa- 
sons  Xapolcoii  was  the  stnur  nianaj^'cr.  Wlu'ii  iiis 
aiKiii'ncc,  wiiicli  coiiiprist'd  mankind,  liad  frrowii  weary 

•  f  tlir  nu'lodrania  and  traircdy  of  n'volntions  and  wars  and 
:  I"  icrous  plots,  he  ri'licvcd  the  tension  l)y  puttinjjr  on.  in  the 

»  :;Min  of  IMO-i-i*"),  that  spectacular  jiroduction  whi<'h  is  known 
'"  history  as  the  Coronation  of  Napoleon  and  Joseiihine. 
'•niy  the  unparalleled  dramatic  irifts  of  the  star  performer 

•  nuld  have  saved  such  a  wild  extra va<ran/.a  from  de<reiieratins 
into  a  farce,  and  a  venerable  archbishop  who  took  part  in  it 
onnfessed  that  if  any  one  in  the  house  had  laughed,  the  show 
wiiiild  have  been  roared  off  the  l)oards. 

A  novelt.vdovin<r  world  looked  on  spellbound  as  France  sud- 
•iciily  was  transformed,  like  a  li^litninL'-i'han<re  artist,  from  a 
spartan  Republic  into  a  trihh'd  Kmpire,  and  her  fanatical 
patriots  and  Terrorists  into  humlilr  Init  <rau(ly  courtiers,  while 
the  horrid  fruillotine,  as  if  by  majric,  was  chantrcd  into  a 
sumptuous  throne,  the  bloody  pike  into  a  ;.'oldcn  scei)tre  and 
the  red  cap  of  the  Kevolution  into  a  iilitteriinj:  crown. 

Kvcn  more  aiiui/.ing  still  was  the  versatility  disphiyed  by  the 
actors  ill  fli,.  principal  roles.     The  little  <-haritv   bov  of  the 


Kmi:  at  Hi'ieiine  twenty  years  before,  the  hunu'ering,  melan- 
i."ly,  wandei'ing  alien  in  the  street  of  Paris  onlv  ten  vears 


"■tore,  strutted  t;pon  the  sta^'e  in  impei'ial  robes  as  if  born 
n  the  purple.  And  his  wife,  an  alien  like  himself,  who  was 
'It  yesterday  an  imprisoned  and  penniless  widow,  look.'d  her 
i  1"  Illy  part  to  perfection  as  she  came  on.  followed  by  a  train 
'!    princes    and    ])rincesses.    who,    a    decade    ago,    had    lie(>u 


168 


F\  Tin-;   I'DOTSTKIN  OF  XAPOLKoX 


str-.'indiMl   on   tli''   sliiifc   of   Fr;iiicr.   povcrty-sti'ickcii    rcfufn 
iVoiii  the  then  srinibiirhai'ous  InIiiikI  of  (.'orsiea. 


Tl 


If  curtiiiii  raise)'  of  the  iiiij)i'ii:il  (Ii'aiiia  was  onlv  a  mar 


liette   sliovv,   witli    Foiu 
till'  strinir.s  wli 


10- 

liiat    LTloritiiMl    jilaiii    clotlics    man, 

1)HIII1IL'    ttic    strin,i,'.S   wllllr    lllr    |(Up|icIs    of    thr    |t'<.M>lativc    liudy 

Went  tli''oiitrii  tile  motions  of  otirrinLr  tlic  iTowii.  Tlic  sma- 
tors  ran  from  their  cliambrrs.  Ifa|)c(l  into  tiirir  carria^'i's  ami 
raced  out  to  the  [.ahiee  of  St.  ('h)ud  in  tlie  tiimulliioiis  eaL'i'r- 
ncss  of  eaeh  to  he  lirst  at  the  foot  of  tiie  new  Cu'sar.  Tliere 
they  found  jnm  in  simple  military  iinilorm  with  .Josei>liine 
heside  him,  and.  addres-inir  the  (ieiiei'al  of  yesterday  a.s 
'"Sii'e,"  they  duly  proclaimed  "•Xapohon  Bonaparte.  Eni- 
pci'or  of  the  French. ■■  wiieirat  the  cry  of  "Lon<;  live  the  Ei.i- 
peror"  raiiir  throimh  the  jialaee  halls  and  was  eclioed  by  a 
swarm  (d'  suitors  in  the  jrardeii.  A  ^ay  cavalcade  next  "ap- 
peared in  various  scpiares  of  I^aris.  where  with  the  blare  of 
trumpets  they  acclaimed  Napoleon.  Fmperor,  to  idly  curious 
and  .sometimes  lauc-hin'_'  cro\\ils  which  at  the  suj.'j.'estion  of  a 
monarchy  a  few  years  before  would  have  drenched  those  very 
streets  with  blood. 

Last  of  all,  and  when  the  Empire  really  had  been  estab- 
lished three  months,  the  wishes  of  the  country  were  consulted 
on  the  proposal  to  mak<'  "  Napoleon  Bonaparte  Emperor  of 
the  b'rench  and  the  imi>ei'ial  diirnity  hereditary  in  his  natural 
or  adopted  descent  and  in  the  descent  from  his  l)rotliers  Joseph 
and  Louis. ■■  The  heirs  of  Luei<'n  and  Jerome  wi^re  e.xchulcd 
from  the  line  of  succession  because  those  two  Bonapartes  had 
lately  married  to  suit  them.selves  and   not  their  brotiier. 

Meanwhile  Napoleon  had  foi'sakeii  the  camp  of  his  army  and 
i'oru(itten  his  projected  invasion  of  En<_daiid  in  his  attention 
to  his  multitude  of  duties  as  stap:e  director,  eostumer.  car- 
I'cnter.  and  projierty  man  of  tlie  ureat  biirlesipie  which  he  was 
busily  prepariiiL'.  "Tis  a  pity,  but  it  must  be  .said  in  frank- 
ness that  his  scenario  was  wholly  devoid  of  invention  and 
that  liis  statre  business  was  altoirether  old  and  hackneyed. 

Frudent  nature  imposed  sharp  limitations  on  this  ^iant  to 
save  the  world  fi'om  his  thrall,  l-'or  in  showerins^  her  frifts 
upon   him  she   withheld   two  qualities  which,  omitted,   bound 


TWU'i;  CI.'OWXKI) 


IGl) 


i 


ihr  vnyajre   of  his   n-nn-lcrful    lifr   in   slmllows   an.1    miscrirs. 
"'   '"'■'<'■''  ofi;.'iiiaiity  and  lie  had  no  ival  ^-ns.-  ,,f  huiiKiur. 

II'hI  Im'  hvrn  oriiriiial.  lir  would  haw  phmn.'d  his  coroiia- 
ti"n  11.  l^ccpiiirr  with  th.'  Krvo'ution  and  Ww  IJrpuhlic,  wlioso 
'■I'.atiiiT  he  was.  and  made  it  imposing'  !  v  its  simplirity, 
1''^'!  !i''  •"■'■11  •■ndowcd  with  a  w  liol.^oinr  sms,.  of  iiniiionr.  h,- 
uniihl  not  have  disch,srd  his  parvniu  .spirit  hv  strivins,'  vainlv 
I"  liidi'  his  d..inojvi'atic  oi'i^riii  in  a  wrapi)in<r  of  tins.-l  anil 
h  i'l'in-^'  with  Simian  trirks  th^'  nicaninuh..s.s  ecremoniais  of 
till'  dead  past. 

An.xious  to  dis-uisc  all  his  assofiatos  as  well  as  hiinsflf  hv 
siuidciily  mad.'  over  his  brothers.  .loseph  and  Louis  thrir 
wiv-s.  .lull,.  Clary  and  [lortmse  IJeauliarnais.  and  his  own 
sbters  into  prinres  and  princesses.  II..  tri.-ke.l  out  unele 
l-'-li,  now  ( "animal,  as  irrand  almoner,  and  arravr.l  ei-dueen 
i--.  nrrals,  all  f?ood  repuhliean  products,  in  Ih.-  trappin-'s  of 
iiiarshals  of  the  Kmpire.  while  his  two  eollea-ues  in  the'Con- 
siiiate.  Camhaoeres  ami  LeHrun.  heeame  arch  eliancelloi  and 
arrli  treasurer,  and  Tall.-yi'and  jjrand  chaiieejlor. 

He  coimiiand(Ml  I'.erthier  to  exchan-e  1lu.  proud  rank  of 
Lvn.ral.  won  on  the  field  of  battle,  for  the  absurdity  of  .M-an.l 
Ki.i^t.r  of  the  hounds,  ami  h..  concealed  Oeiieral"  Duroe  lie- 
ii-arli  the  desiL'natioii  of  jrrand  marshal  of  the  palae(>  w'  ile 
(  auhuncourt.  able  statesman,  became  the  imp -rial  hostl.'r  or 
master  of  the  horse.  As  he  saw  those  sons  of  the  Kevolution 
Piiradin^^  abont  in  their  imperial  livery,  lie  lautrh.Ml  in  his 
slrcve:  -'All  I  have  to  do  is  to  put  a  little  jjold  brai.l  on  mv 
virtuous  republicans  and  instantly  they  become  whatever  I 
please  to  make  them." 

Men  who  but  y.-sterda>  would  have  bent  their  neeks  to  the 
LnnllotiM,.  rather  than  ben<i  their  knees  to  a  monar.di  were  as 
^>i['pl(>  1.1  their  hin^'es  as  if  their  lives  ha.l  been  passed  in 
'^^•fms:  aliout  a  throne.  Xapoleon  oscillated  between  admira- 
ti'"i  and  contempt  for  h.is  fawnin-  courtiers,  but  when  he 
r'tiaffed  Fon,-he  for  havincr  been  one  of  the  m^n  who  s(>nt 
Km-  Louis  XVI  to  his  .leath  he  received  from  the  r..-icide  a 
>..ner  thru.st:  "Yes,  Sire;  that  was  the  first  service  I  had 
'!'■'■  iiappiness  ot  ronderinir  tn  V(>ii.-  at., i. ...+  ..  " 


i7i» 


IN  TllK  FOOTSTKI'S  OF  NAl'()LK(jN 


Napol 


con  s  cvmcisin  was 


touclifd,  too,  l)y  tlic  rcadinoss  fit" 


tlif  hau^'lity  ini'iiibcfs  of  tlif  anriciit   ai'istocrai'V  to  prostratr 
tlifiMs.'lvcs'lict'oiv    tlic    new    throiir    iTf    its    trildmi.'   was    dry. 
■■|  >liu\vcd  tlinn  tilt'  palli  to  -rlory  a.iil  they  would  not  trta'l 
it,"    lie    sai<l.     ""I    opfiu'd    my    aiittTooiu    and    they    ruslnd 
throu'.'li   llic  door  in  fi'owds."     Not   a   frw  of  the  old  nobler 
and   •ji'anilr   dailies  wcit   cas-'ci'  applirants    for   pahu-e   plavi  ^. 
Tlit-y  wtTc  set  to  work  drilliu';  the  awkwacd  s(iiiad  of  tlu'  luu 
court.  tcachiiiL,'  llic  raw  rccniits  from  tlir  peasantry  and  tlif 
lower  middle  class  the  pi'opt'r  way  to  enter  and  hack  out  of 
a  room,  curtsey,  speak.  manaL;v  their  trains  or  hold  their  iiatv 
Encouraufd  by   his  success  with   the  stars  in  the  cast,   he 
next  showered  the  crosses  of  the   i.e^dou  of   Honour  on  the 
chorus  and  the  sui)ernumeraries.  when,  on  the  great   day  of 
tlie  nation,  the   14th  of  duly,  nobles  and  hinds  knelt  hcfoiv 
him  in  an  ('((uaiily  of  vanity.     An  intoxication  of  ambition 
for   personal   ulory   and   sellish   rewai'd   spread   over   France, 
which  had  poui'ed  fortii  the  mitjhtiest  armies  of  modern  times, 
raised   up   peasants   to  be  coiKjuerors  of  dukes  and   princes, 
and    fouuht    all    Europe   sin<r!e-handed    for    ten    years   with- 
out  ofi'ei'in<r   any   other   prize    than    the    honour   of   serving: 
the  Republic  in  huuixer  and  rajrs.     Now,  however,  that  "Our 
Oounti'y"   had   become   "My   Empire."'   "Our   Ooverumcnt" 
"My  Throne,"   "Our  Army"  ".My   Army,"   and   •'We,  the 
People,"  had  become  "My  Sulijccts,"  men  no  lon-rer  sweat 
for  duty,  but  only  for  promotion.     The  maidiood  of  the  nation 
was  lost  in  the  mad  scramble  to  receive  the  new  yruinea  stamp 
of  rank. 

Discarding  his  Corsican  ancestry,  the  new  monarch  chose 
an  entirely  ditVerent  set  of  forbears.  Even  the  Bourbons 
were  not  deemed  suitable  i)rogenitors,  and  when  it  was  siiu;- 
gested  that  he  should  take  the  old  title  of  Kin-,'  of  France,  lie 
remarked,  "1  do  not  succeed  Louis  XIV,  but  Charlemagne,"' 
Accordingly  he  solemnly  made  an  imperial  progress  to  the 
tomb  of  his  new-found  and  illustrioiis  forefather  at  Aix  la 
Chaiielle. 

Ilaviii"'   chosen   the   ureat    Emperor   of  the    Franks   as  lii> 
^  .      ,        .     .  .  •      ■      1  ,•     .  I"  »i, 

ancestor,  iie  ueieniune<.i  Lu  iimicui-  liie  pruieiiiai 


L   14  L  11  i  V-      ^  * 


i 


TWicK  ('i,'()\vxi:i) 


171 


rarlnviii^inn  poroiuition  and  lie  aiKiiiiti'd  l)y  tlie  Vicar  of 
Cliri.sl.  lie  would  even  hctfcr  tlif  rxainpli'.  ( ■liarlmiairnr 
wclit  fi)  Koine  to  lie  crowiit'd  ill  St.  I'dfC's  liy  Leo  111.  The 
iii'W  (  liarlriiiaL'tH'  made  Ixoiiif  coiiir  to  I'aris  and  I'ius  VII 
cinwn  linn  in  N'oti't-  Datiic. 

Till-  j,'i-.y  walls  of  Notre  Uaino  liad  risen  for  GOO  years  and 
more  iVoiii  the  "Island  of  the  City,"  where,  i'l  the  middle 
of  the  Seine,  Cu'sar  found  a  cluster  of  sava^je  huts  that  con- 
stituted the  I'aris  of  twenty  centuries  a^'o.  A  juiiihle  of  old 
buildinirs  shut  in  the  threat  cathedral  and  Najxileon  ordered 
those  stnuture  to  he  torn  down  rij.'ht  and  left  to  clear  the 
way  for  the  imperial  j)rocessioii.  The  work  of  demolition  was 
prcsscil  hy  day  and  niiilit.  New  platforms  and  jj;alleries  were 
liastily  eiTeted  within  the  church.  Streets  were  paved  and 
all  I'aris  was  tilled  with  the  chorus  of  hammers. 

Wiirhmeii  took  advantafje  of  the  <»reat  demand  for  labour 
to  extort  imheard-of  waf?es,  amountint:  to  as  much  as  fi'),  7'), 
and  even  S(l  cents  a  day.  Dressmakers,  tailors,  and  milliiieri?, 
jroldsmiths,  and  jcwellci's  did   a    rushing'  husiness. 

Tl  ■•  making'  of  crests,  a  lo.st  art  siiici'  the  Kevolutiou. 
fleuii^hcd  once  more.  Napoleon  adopted  the  cafjlc  of  Cliarle- 
iiKiiriie  for  the  standards  of  his  le^'ious  and  the  bee  as  bis  pe|-- 
^eiiiil  einhlem,  scatteriiiL:  swarms  of  bees  over  his  ensijjii  and 
cMutcheon,  his  palace  carpets  and  draperii  s.  The  only  me- 
mento (;f  liis  native  Corsica  that  appears  to  have  interested 
liiiii  was  its  embleniatie  colour,  ^eeu,  which  he  adopted  for 
fill'  livery  of  tlu>  Empire,  a  choice  that  is  perpetuated  to  this 
day  in  the  national  tlajr  of  Italy. 

Isahey,  the  artist,  was  ordered,  on  the  eve  of  the  coronation, 
to  prepare  seven  drawings  in  colours  of  the  seven  scenes  to  be 
enacted  at  Notre  Dame.  It  was  an  impossible  feat  within 
the  limits  of  time.  But  the  resourceful  artist  purchased  all 
the  dolls  in  Paris  and,  dressing  them  up  as  Kmperor,  Kiii|)ress, 
I'ope.  prinees,  chamberlains,  equerries,  ladies  of  honour,  and 
the  rest,  he  arraiiffed  them  on  a  little  stajre  that  was  a  minia- 
ture of  the  church  interior.  Napoleon  was  deliirhted  with 
this  clever  plan  atul.  call  ins  in  the  various  actors  and  actresses 
in  his  cast,  he  personally  taught  them  their  proper  positions. 


172         IN  I'm;  !'(M)T.sTi:i's  ok  nai'(»ij:(>.\ 


A  LMMXc  crisis  aiiiM'  ;i-  tlir  I'dpc  iniifril  I';iii^  in  his  jouriii'v 

tl'iMII      li'lillir     ll\i|'     till-     lli'wis      Cdll^t  I'llrti  li     Mt,     ('i'ni->     hfjluvji'. 
^\  liiif    Jilhl     liiiu     >l|(iilM     His     .M;ijrsty     ITiTi\r     Ills     Ildlilii'ss 
III    his   llrw   i-\;i||;it  iiiii    .\;i|Mih'(i|i    \\;in   r\t  IT  inil  y   iilixinlis    not    t'l 
I'hicc  hiiii-cll'  ill  ,1  |Hisiih)ii  w  hriT  hi'  wuuhl  have  to  takf  srcond 
phu'c  r\rn   In  tlir  I'lijii'.      It   was  (h'l-ii h'c |,  ill  l<r('|)in!.'  with  th" 

iiici'i'ly   thrati'ii'.il   I'li.iractrr  nf  tl Mire  nirniiatidii,   that   li'' 

should  1:0  inintuiu'  ami  iihTt  th.'  I'lipr  inforiii.illy  am!  \i\ 
chaiici'. 

\\  hilr  |iri'tcii(liii'_'  to  he  takiiiir  part  in  a  hunt  in  ihf  im- 
pcriai  t'ofrst  oi'  l-'diitaiiirliliau  lu'  alVfi'tt'd  to  he  surprised  hy 
the  ai'i'ival  of  thr  [lapal   party,  nuiiilirfin^,'  inoi'r  tiiati  oiif  liuii 

dfi'il     persons.        He    di'-niounted.    tile     I'ope    stepped    out     ol'    |il> 

(■ai'fia'_'e.  and  tluy  1  iiilnaerd.  alter  whii'li  one  id'  the  imperial 
carria'jes  ilrove  up.  Thi'  I'lmperor  eiitii'ed  it  before  the  Po[ie. 
hut  he  look  the  srat  oil  tile  rai'lliri'  side,  whii-h  procedure  had 
its  e(iiiipeii>ati(Ui  lor  the  I'ontiH'.  >inee  it  lel'f  him  the  seat  on 
the  ri;.'lit. 

I'iiis.  Ill  aiiiialile  and  lieiievoleiit  eharaeter.  was  determined 
to  make  ilie  lie>t  (d'  evi  ry  sitiiatiiui  and  not  to  hicker  witli 
till'  l-lmperoi-.  AlthoiM^di  he  had  supposed  that  iiis  loiitr  jour- 
ney was  for  the  purpose  of  placing/  the  crown  on  Napoleon's 
lieail.  he  (dieerfiill)-  consented  to  let  him  crown  liiinsflf,  as  tin' 

Kiiipeiiir  was  determined  to  I'l i\e  the  erowu  from  no  other 

hands  than  his  own.  When  he  recoiled  from  the  communion 
as  a  saerileu'e,  since  he  could  not  nartake  (d'  it  in  a  spirit  of 
sincerity,  the  Poiitil'f  consented  to  its  omission,  rt'sp('ctin<;  lii.s 
scruples.  jM-ohalily  triad  to  find  he  had  any  in  (diurcli  matters. 

The  Tope  was  imiiiovahle.  however,  on  (luestions  that  he  rc- 
pardeil  as  moi'al.  and  cari'ied  his  point  every  time.  There 
was  one  Very  im[iortant  condition  whiidi  lie  insisted  upon  from 
the  outset.  Xapideon  had  resolved  upon  luivinir  .Josephine 
crowned.  althouL;h  none  (d'  tlh-  iWturhon  (|ueens  had  received 
su'di  an  honour  since  .Marie  de  .Medici  2n()  years  before. 

Vtd  he  had  no  wife  in  tlii'  eyes  of  t'lic  (diiirch.  his  weddintr 
haxiiiu'  taken  place  in  the  Revolution,  when  there  were  no 
I'lditrious  marriatrcs  in  France,  The  i'o|)e  firmly  announced 
that   uidess  he  and  Josephine  went  throiiL'h  a  religious  cere- 


TWKI';  CIJOWXK!) 


17:{ 


mniiy  the  chiinOi  cniild  1i;im'  mo  p^irt  in  Iht  idroiiatioii.  Tlir 
nn|M.ri;iI  will  was  slow  to  linid,  Init  in  the  md  and  only  on 
•ii'  r\v  of  tile  coronation  Najioli-on  and  .losfphinf  kn.  It  Leron; 
<  :ii'ilinal   l-'csrii. 

Al'tii-  (iu'lit  y.'ars  tlicir  nnioii  had  rci'cived  flic  sanction  of 
tlti  rhui'cli  and  the  iMiipic  ss  no  doiilit  ro-"  from  the  Cardinal 's 
M.-Mii;:  with  a  new  fc.jinu'  n['  security,  fur  was  not  the  Km- 
i'l'ii-  hoiirid  to  hiT  now  hy  a  tie  that  no  man  <'oiiid  jiiit  aNiin- 
d'  I'.'  Naiiolcon's  (h'sirc  to  have  hei'  cr'owiied,  howi'Vcr,  would 
»■  III  to  he  assurance  enoiitrh  that  he  had  yet  no  intention  of 
-iiiiderintr  it,  and  as  his  thoii^rhts  harkeil  hack  to  th.'ir  hist 
U'>ldiiiu'  ho  laiitriicd  at  the  notary,  now  the  imperial  notary. 
'  I  <i  had  advised  dosepjiine  as^ainst  manwintr  a  man  with 
ni.tliiiiL'  imt  a  cloak  and  a  sword;  the  cloak  had  h.'cn  dyed 
jiiirpl.'  and  the  sword  was  ('liarleinaLrnc's ! 

A-  tliey  were  liri'akfast iiii,'  on  the  iiioriiini/  of  the  ixn-itt  dav, 
l»i,,inlier  _',  1S()4,  .\a|»oleon  jihiccd  the  crown  on  .losepliine's 
'"■■■I'l  thai  he  mifzht  enjoy  the  pretty  sii:lit  over  their  <'otrec 
and  rolls.  The  I'oi)e  was  already  startintr  for  Notre  Dame, 
with  his  cross  hcarci-  ridiiit:  ahead  on  a  mule  in  aci'onhinct' 
witli  the  ancient  [)apal  custoin. 

It  was  ten  o'clock  when  .Miirat  led  the  carhincprs.  cuiras- 
^I'lN,  chasseurs,  and  the  mamelukes—rcmindcrs  of  tho  Eiryp- 
tiaii  I  ampai^Mi— out  of  the  courtyard  of  the  Tuileries.  followi'd 
hy  tl:-  heralds  at  arms  and  the  earriatres  of  the  masters  of  tho 
CPrcmniiics,  the  ^'rand  officers  of  the  Hmpirc,  the  great  digni- 
t.'iries  and  the  princesses. 

Th.  n  in  solitary  state,  came  a  gilded  carriaize  with  a  crown 
ntnp.  its  eight  horses  in  resjilendent  harnesses  driven  hy  Ca'sar, 
the  coachman,  who  had  galloped  to  safety  past  the  "infernal 
iiiiicliine.  I'ac-es  in  green  and  gold  were  perched  hehind, 
whilr  all  ahout  pranced  the  horses  of  the  aides-de-camp. 
^'^iiliin  sat  Xapoleon,  two  white  aigrettes  nodding  ahove  his 
Itlack  velvet  eap,  surrounded  with  a  hand  of  diamonds,  clasiied 
togcthci-  hy  the  celehrnted  $2.0()O.OilO  Regent  solitaire.  His 
T'lrjile  cloak  showed  its  white  satin  lining  as  it  l-ung  from  his 
l-ft  shoulder,  and  heneath  it  was  a  eoat  of  purple  velvet  faced 
with  whive  and  glittering  with  gems  and  gold.     His  wnistco:it 


ITJ 


IN   Till':   !■■<»(  (TSTi:  I 'S  <)!••   NAI'oI.Iio.N 


was  liiitloiinl  uitli  (liaiiinri'I-;.  uliilr  L'old  I'liihroiuiTrd  wliitr 
\il\it  l.rrcclii  >  frailhd  ti)  llir  <|iaiii(iiii|  trartrrs  nf  liis  l'oIiI 
rhilifoKliiid    >ill<    sIiM'kiiiirs,    wliiiM'    ducks    Imi'i'    till'    iiii|i''iial 

•  ■(irnllct         His   $M)    |iail'   (if    Vi'lvrt     lioots    with    illailinllii    liurkli-> 

wrii'  uliiti'  as  stiow  anil  L'li'atiiintr  witli  t,'(il(l. 

No  ()|irralir  ti'iior  luiilil  liavr  initslioiir  tlir  liittir  ('(>r[)<iral 
tliat  i>i-niiil  (lay.  whrii  Ih'  ixiiltnl  to  liis  hi-dllni'.  ".loscpli,  if 
fatlur  ripiilil  (iiily  sri'  us!"  Vft  inolliiT  iliil  nut  dfiyn  to  bf  a 
ludkri'-dii  at   the  slmw ! 

i'-csidr  till'  l'!'M|irfoi-  sat  Joscfjliiiic.  in  wliosc  sniiliiijj  facr 
no  trari' of  atri'  .ail  lnrti  Irft  liy  lin- skilful  maids.  I  In- wliitr 
satin  trowu  was  t miiiiihmI  with  siivi'f  and  uold  and  s|>rinklrd 
o\ir  with  Lroidrii  lins.  Diaiiionds  sfiarklrd  on  Inr  head,  on 
lur  link,  in  Iht  cars  and  in  Inr  Lrifdlc  l-'acinu'  the  imperial 
couph'  wen-  the  I'rinccs  doMph  and  F^oiiis. 

The  SO. 000  soldiers  assendiled  in  the  city  fop  the  coroiia- 
tinn.  left  little  I'oom  in  the  streets  for  the  people  who  were 
not   lafccly  represented,  and  seldom  was  a  i-lucr  raised. 

As  Xapolcon  |>as-.ed  the  Chureli  of  St.  lioeli  in  the  K'ue  St. 
IForiore  he  could  see  the  lii'st  tliu'ht  in  the  steps  he  was  dimh- 
iiiL'  to  the  throne;  for  hy  those  steps  of  St.  Koch,  the  Man  on 
Horscliack  hecaiiie  master  of  i'aris  nine  years  liefore. 

In  tile  arehhishoirs  palace  hy  the  cathedral,  the  imperial 
couple  chaiiL'cd  to  their  coronation  cnstuiiies.  Xapolcon  \m\- 
lin^'  on  a  circlet  of  jrold  laurel  haves  and  i/ettin^  into  a  white 
satin  petticoat  I  Next  he  donned  an  eitrhty-pound  purple 
tolie  and  cajii',  ermine  lined  and  covered  with  <rolden  bees, 
while  .loscphiiie  put  on  a  hiu'lily  einhroidei'ed  velvet  mantle, 
twenty  ells  in  leiiu'lh.  and  with  $2000  worth  of  ermine  for  its 
lininp.  This  roln',  which  was  draped  to  leave  her  bust  un- 
covered and  her  li^nire  free,  was  fastened  to  her  left  shoulder 
and  held  in  jdace  by  a  clasp  at  her  .troldcn  trirdle  stndih'd  with 
rose  coloured  cenis.  Her  crown  had  eii^'lit  brarclies,  si  t  with 
diamonds,  banded  by  eitrht  larire  emeralds,  while  •uik  thy  • 
shone  from  the  bandenu  on  her  brow,  and  four  rows  of  ms^- 
niiieciit  pearls,  entwined  with  diamond  covered  leavos  formed 
her  diadem.  In  all  she  wore  on  her  pretty  head  $2o0,UU0 
worth  of  pearls  and  diamonds. 


TWH'K  "I?<)\V.\i:i) 


r 


^^  jiiiwliili'    till'    irri'jit    lliriii,^;    of    marly    turnt}     'luiiisand 

sIllVCl'cil    HI    tlir   cold    catllilll'ill    a^   tllrV    Wailnl   JUliI    Walrll'  i|    Inr 

i  .  the  next   Mi'iir  t(»   III'  ciiai'ti'd   witluti    il^   walls,   wlicfi'   iii    li  s> 

i  tluin  II  deciid.'  tlh'  "torih  n\'  triilli"  had  Ma/rd  on  tli.'  \.rh  r 

.il'lr  altar  and  a  liallrt  dann^r  hail  lirrii  ■  iithrnin  d  iii  thr  choir 
to  he  \\orslii|i|)cd  as  the    'tloddos  of  iTasmi.   ' 

rrohahly  no  other  liosoui  in  the  iiiKnen^e  ;i,,.  mhlai^'e  iVlt 
the  same  emotions  as  that  which  had  nursed  the  i;iii[iei'or. 
I'or  he  liad  not  forgotten  his  foster  mother  hut  had  hroii^'ht 
t'.tmilla  llari  from  Corsica  iiiid  installed  Inr  in  a  jiost  of 
honour  where  she  could  see  her  "'little  Nabulionello"'  put  on 
the  crown  (d'  empire. 

I  It  was  almost   noon,  when  at   last  the  heralds  and  pii-rcs  ap- 

peared at    the  |)oftal  of  the  churi'h.   followid   hy   the  marshals 
i  of  the  Kmpire.     'I'hose  war  do'js  of  the  fallen   Heimlilic  came 

J  in  witli  nunciiif,'  steps,  one  laden  with  a  cushion  on  which  lay 

^         .J()se|ildne's  rint,'.  another  a  liasket   for  'icr  cloak,  another  her 
cTown  on  a  cushion. 

Then  entered  dosephine,  lier  imperial  .self,  between  iter  lirst 
'  lianihcrlain  and  iier  first  equerr'y.  with  the  iionaiiartc  piin- 

i  (.•cs.se.s   holding,'   up    her    robe    and    lookinu'    like    captives    at    a 

chariot 's  wheel.  Walkint,'  behind  with  courtly  tread  was 
-Mine,  (le  Lavelette,  dauuditer  of  that  l-'anny  licaiiharnais  who 
hail  befriended  dosephme  when  she  was  the  nej,'lecteil  wi!V 
of  Fannx's  nephew,  and  a  stramjer  in  Frame.  Reside  her 
marched  an  uncomel\-,  unfortunate  hunchback,  but  this  wa.s 
.dine,  (ie  la  Hoelud'aucauld  and  perhaps  the  oidy  person  in  the 
entire  imperial  suite  who  ever  had  stepped  foot  in  the  old 
I'ourt  of  l''i'aiiee. 

Next  there  came  more  war  do<;s  carryinix  Napoleon's  trin- 
kets, and  then  tl;e  I'lmperor,  <;raspinir  in  one  of  his  ^old-em- 
broidered ^'loves  "the  hand  of  justice,"  while  in  the  other  he 
1  'Id  the  .sceptre  with  an  ea^'le  jierehed  on  top  of  it.  doseph 
and  Louis,  Cambaceres  and  LeUrun  followed  him  as  they  iicid 
np  liis  burdensome  robe,  and  the  cry  of  "Vive  I 'I';mi)ereur !" 
raiiL'  throutrh  the  jxroined  aisles  of  the  vast  and  lofts  editice. 
As  N'apoleon  made  bis  how  to  the  Pope  be  touched  the  cros- 


•eis  uiin  notii  minus,      men  tie  ana  Oosepiiiiie  descended  and 


176 


I\   Till-;   KOOTSTKPS  OF   N.M'OLKaX 


Icii.'lt  ,it  tlio  foot  of  fh,'  iiliiir.  uli.TO  tlic  I^ntifr  anoint.n] 
ilKir  lirjids  iiiid  iiiinds.  Til..  Kmpcror  put  on  liis  riii^'.  ^wonl 
ami  crown,  and  next  hciit  ovir  to  crown  the  Hmprcss  who 
was  kneeling  at  his  tVet.  Th.^  reli-ious  cerenionv  was  llnished 
with_  a  ki>s  from  tlie  |'<,p,.  on  Napoh^on's  elicek  and  his  bene- 
diction, '\AIiiy   tile  I'liiiperor  live   I'oi'ever!" 

A  lierald-at-anns  now  proelaitned  "the  most  glorious  ami 
amrust  Kniperor  Napoleon, "  who,  however,  was  still  bovisli 
'■'louuii  to  prod  uncle  Fesch  with  his  sc-eptre  as  he  was  leavintr 
the  scene. 

The  -ramliose  speetacle  was  at  an  end.  >?oon  Xotre  Dame 
was  wrapped  again  in  the  solemn  stillne.ss  of  the  centuries, 

Mullird    ;nul    (liiinlj     like    liiir   r    •(     ■  .Tvislies 
Ami    ii)iialiiii;,r    .-inul,.    j,,    an    cikIIcss    u\r. 

Only  a  solitary  lamj)  lit  tlie  dusk  of  the  waning  day  in  the 
great  nave,  haunted  hy  the  ghostly  jtast.  wiiere  al)0ve  all  the 
echoes  of  tlie  ages  there  still  resounds  Pius'  invocation,  "  Vivat 
Imperator  in  etennim." 

At  Xapoleon's  appearance  in  ^filan  in  :\Iay,  1805,  to  he 
crowned  King  of  Italy,  the  :\Iilan..se  outdid  the  Parisians  at 
ins  French  corormtion.  No  recollection  of  heavy  sacrifices  in 
a  great  revolution  for  the  cverthrow  of  a  monarchy  cast  its 
shadow  upon  the  Italians  as  they  rejoiced  at  the  settini:  up 
of  a  new  throne.  Besides,  was  not  their  new  sovereign  an 
Italian  like  themselves? 

To  grace  the  brow  of  the  new  King  of  Italy  the  famous 
crown  of  the  Lombards  was  brought  forth.  Thai:  precious 
heirloom  of  the  ages  is  jealously  guarded  be''ind  no  less  than 
SIX  locks  in  a  casket  with  doors  of  silver  and  steel  beneath  a 
marble  canopy  in  the  cathedral  of  the  royal  town  of  ^lon/.a, 
a  few  miles  out  of  .Alilan.  Tlu-re  curious  pilgrims  may  mount 
a  platform  and  look  down  upon  the  rude  cor  juet  of  the  Long- 
beards,  all  gold  and  gems  excci)t  for  a  sleiuler  inner  band  of 
iron,  which  tradition  says  was  made  from  a  nail  of  the 
Saviour's  cmcifivinn. 

It  was  not  in  that  simple  old  church  of  :\ronza,   however, 
that  Napoleon  was  consecrated,  but  with  all  pomp  in  the  beau- 


TWICE  CROWNED 


177 


fifiil  cjithoc'ral  of  .Milan,  from  whoso  iiohlo  altar  he  took  tho 
iidii  crown  to  place  it  upon  his  head  with  his  own  hands. 

So  ]. leased  was  he  with  his  performance  in  that  last  scene 
of  his  rrreat  spectacular  drama  that  he  exclaimed  on  n'tuniin>,' 
to  (he  palace,  "Well,  did  you  see  the  ceremony?  Did  you 
Ii'iir  what  T  said  when  I  placed  the  crown  on  my  head?" 
And  h.'  lifted  his  voice  in  imitation  of  the  tones  that  had  run<? 
tlirou|,'li  the  cathedral,  "God  has  given  it  to  me.  Woe  to  him 
who  shall  touch  it !" 


CTTAPTER  XXTT 


TlIK  UNCONOUP]REI)  SKA 


l«ril-l'"i5      ACK   .".'J-Sfi 


TilE  Lrrpcn  loa  tlint  crowns  witli  tlio  vol  v.--  nrf  of  Ens- 
land  the  flialk  fliffs  of  Folkestone  is  hardly  lost  to  the 
view  of  the  |..issengers  by  the  steamer  that  is  bearing' 
them  to  the  shore  of  France,  when  they  see  a  tall  and  beautifui 
Doric  cohnnn  risinsr  from  the  sand  dunes  of  Boulogne.  That 
shilling  white  obelisk  is  the  boundary  stone  of  the  Empire  of 
Napoleon,  and  on  its  top  stands  the  bronze  effigy  of  the  man 
who  spent  tifteen  years  of  his  life  in  a  futile  eti'ort  to  cross 
the  English  Channel. 

As  the  boat  draws  nearer  the  end  of  its  voyage  from  the 
English  isle  to  the  continent  of  Europe,  the  ruined  tower  of 
C'idigula  is  seen  on  the  brow  of  the  yellow  heights,  where  the 
legionaries  of  H<inie  planted  it  in  the  fortieth  year  of  the 
Christian  era.  Hard  by,  the  conscripts  of  .Napoleon  reared 
for  him  a  timbered  palace  in  the  third  year  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  where  be  could  dwell  in  the  midst  of  his  nearly  two 
hundred  thousand  warriors  who  were  reaily  at  his  nod  to  bear 
him  on  their  arms  into  the  palace  of  8t.  James.  And  down 
alongside  the  quay,  where  the  Folkestone  steamer  now  ties  .ip. 
1000  boats  waited  to  ferry  tl'.em  over  the  twenty-nine  nnlcs  of 
water  that  rolleil  lietween  them  and  their  goal.  Some  of  tlu' 
craft  are  afloat  to  this  day.  the  barelegged  tisherwomen  of  the 
oM  town  insist,  and  are  inimliered  among  their  herring  fleet. 
I'.ut  they  have  never  crossed  the  channel  and  grated  on  an 
English  beach  I 

The  I'eare  of  .Vnneus.  which  really  was  no  peace  at  all,  hut 
a  mere  trtice  in  an  age-old,  irrepressible  contlict  i)etweeii 
I'rance  and  EnL'lnnd.  had  lasted  less  than  fourteen  months, 
when  the  clash  of  arms  was  rmewed.      It  was  only  the  resump- 


THE  rXCONQrKRKI)  SEA 


179 


tioij  of  a  v(Mult'tta  wliich  had  cinbroilcil  the  two  countries  since 
the  Norman  eonquest  and  in  pursuit  of  which  they  liad  hunted 
each  other  to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  from  the  Ganges  to  the 
St.  Lawrence  and  from  Voi-ktown  to  Acre. 

Whrn.  like  two  winded  pugilists,  they  au'reed  in  the  Treaty 
of  Amiens  to  lay  aside  the  gloves  after  ten  years  in  tlie  I'ing, 
the  old  score  was  left  unsettleti,  with  one  the  mistress  of  the 
ocean,  witli  one  the  master  of  the  land  and  eacii  at  the  mercy 
()f  the  other.  The  French  shore  was  England's  door  stoop 
oil  the  European  continent,  wliile  the  British  Isles  and  the 
I'.ritish  rock  of  Gibraltar  were  the  gateposts  on  the  lanes  that 
led  from  France  to  the  highway  of  the  sea. 

England,  with  immense  dominions  beyond  the  ocean,  had 
ull  hut  sti'ipped  the  French  of  tlieir  once  great  colonial  em- 
pire, while  P'rance  dominated  Europe  as  never  before. 

The  British  protested  against  Napoleon's  annexation  of 
Piedmont  and  his  active  intluence  in  Switzerland,  where  he 
was  making  over  the  Swiss  Confederation  into  the  modern 
republic  that  we  know  to-day.  The  jealousy  of  the  London 
statesmen  was  aroused  to  the  greenest  hue  when  they  saw  him, 
by  invitation  of  the  German  stales,  acting  as  mediator  be- 
tween them,  and  remakinir  the  Timp  of  (iermany. 

In  the  midst  of  the  quarrel,  England  had  faithfully  carried 
out  her  treaty  agreement  to  restore  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope 
te  the  Dutch  and  relin(piish  Egypt  to  the  Turks.  She  also 
S' lit  home  at  her  own  expense  'he  remnant  of  Napoleon's 
M'vptian  a'-my,  which  she  had  captured  when  she  took  the 
country.  She  continued,  however,  to  hold  on  to  Malta,  and 
Napoleon  insisted  that  England  must  not  remain  in  control 
of  that  key  to  the  eastern  Mediterranean. 

in  the  end  the  controversy  thus  luirrowed  down  to  the  pos- 
>'Ssion  of  a  barren  rock  twenty  miles  long  and  nine  miles  wide. 
Ill  the  temper  that  had  been  aroused  on  both  sides  any  iione 
'  "iild  sut'fice  to  bring  on  a  fiirht. 

Tlie  war  began  in  Josephine's  salon  at  the  Tuileries  one 
Sunday  afternoon.  When  Napoleon  entered  the  circle  which 
liad  formed  in  tht>  drawing-room,  he  walk<>d  up  to  Robert  R. 
Livingston,  the  American  minister,  and  made  a  few  pleasant 


ISO 


IX  TIIK   FOOTSTMI'S  OK  NAI'OLHi  iX 


HMnarks.  ;iftfr  wliidi  lie  strode  over  to  Lord  Wliinvo^  th,  the 
British  ainliiissador.  '•S,),"  li,.  driiiaiided  of  the  liritoii  iii  his 
deepest  tone,  ■\voii  arc  (h'tiriiiiiicd  to  i;o  to  war.''' 

A  diplomat  liriiej  a  <_'i'iitli'riiaii  who  is  sent  abroad  to  lie 
for  his  country,  tlir  aiiiliassador  insist.',!,  of  course,  that  his 
nation  was  oidy  desirous  of  peace.  But  the  First  ('jn.sid  in 
ane:ry  accents,  insisti-d  that  Fnghuid  was  not  k<'epin._r  h.-r 
promises  and  was  ph)ttinir  to  hi'infr  on  hostilities.  "Wliv  these 
lueparations  for  war.'"  he  sternly  in.piired.  "Ajrainst"  whom 
are  you  takin<r  tliese  measures?  .  .  .  Hut  if  you  arm,  I  shall 
also  arm.  If  y(,u  will  fi<rht.  I  shall  also  titrht".  Vou  may  pos- 
sibly .lestn.y  France,  but  you  r  can  intimidate  "her!" 
As  the  First  Con.sul  l.d't  the  roo  .,  repeated,  "Woe  to  them 
who  do  not  respect  tiieir  treaties!" 

When  the  door  closed  behiiK!  him.  it  closed  upon  the  Peace 
of  Ami.'us  an.l  the  p.^ace  of  the  world.  Thus  beirau.  in  the 
spriu','  of  1S0:5,  the  titaiuc  war  which  was  to  draw  into  its  vor- 
tex all  the  nations,  until  the  battle  line  should  stretch  from 
-Moscow  to  Detroit,  and  end  only  at  Waterloo  in  ISlf), 

Shoi'tly  after  the  openintr  of  ho.stilities.  Napoleon  pitched  his 
camp  at  Houlo^ne  in  sijrlit  of  the  chalk  clitVs  of  Albion  and  for 
two  years  he  bent  his  iriant  enerjries  to  the  fornmtion  of  the 
miirhtiest  invadin-,'  fleet  ever  launched  a<,'ain.st  England. 
Boastmir  that  h(>  would  "jump  the  ditch,"  he  declared  that 
Ca'.sar's  expedition  was  "ohild's  play,"  and  that  "mine  is 
the  enterprise  of  the  Titans. "  The  Roman  had  only  800  boats 
but  the  Corsican  conunanded  tluit  there  should  be  built  for 
him  no  less  than  2000  boats. 

In  one  respect  and  the  most  important,  the  latest  invad.'r 
could  not  elaim  any  sui)eriority  to  that  first  reconled  invau.r 
of  Enjjland.  After  ISOO  years  had  passed  since  Cffisar's  in- 
vasion, Napoleon  still  must  (h-|)end  on  sails  and  oars  to  carry 
hini  across  the  ehaujiel,  as  the  invention  of  aerial,  steam  and 
subiiiarine  navigation  was  then  oidy  faintly  dawning. 

While  Robert  Fulton,  with  his  plans  for  steamboats  and 
torpedoes,  vainly  olFered  his  inventions  to  the  two  power.,  that 
were  struggling  f(jr  the  mastery  of  the  waters,  sapoleon's  ship- 
yards were  busily  launching  his  cockle  shells  and  he  restles.'-lv 


M 


H 


■4 


>f 


THE  UN'COXQUEIJED  SKA 


181 


movcil  ii])  and  (louii  tlic  foast.  whicli  lie  liiu'il  from  Ilavrf  to 

rlrm'aphic    sfiiiapliorcs. 


Am 


wr'Mi   With   sciiti'ir.s,   caiiiioii   an 


Ar 


iiiv  of  l']n<'lan(l. 


as  111'  called 


his  mvadintr  torcc,  was 


laily  put  tlirouj,'!:  drills  in  iinharkiii^'  and  discniliarkia''  uutil 


t'Very  man  knru   Ins  boat  an 
(•lainli'r  alward  in  ten  miiiuti's. 


Ins  place 


in  It  and  li.l.ooo  could 


Uu  the  other  sid(>  tlie  eliannel,   the   ""(Ireat   Terror"  lield 


Huiil; 


Hill 


m  its  tiril>.      Had  imt  this  ('orsican  imp  raced  twice 


ihroui^di  I5ritish   fleets  over  the  14i)0  miles  of  hhie  water  be- 


tween France   and    Ivypt  .'     Had    he 

Could  a  few  miles  of  sea  set  hounds  t 

While  tile  creiluloiis  peasantry  shiv 

stories  of  his   liavin<r  alreadv  landed 


SiM 


reted  himself  in  tli 


hauiitei 


woods,  wlu 


re  I 


dejit 


le   () 


niv 


awaited  his  ^oi 


not 

lea] 

0  his 

acti 

ered 

IS    t 

and. 

lik 

hs  ot 

tlu 

)d  time  ti 

ped    the   Alps? 

vity  ? 

hev  listened  to 


e  a   wild 


man. 


tllelii,  the  Kill''  ■■  ii 


1  dailv  ( 


iiei<.'iii)onrin^' 
pounce  upon 
'-\l>ectation  that  l*)ona[iarte  will  at- 


tempt his  threatened  invasion,"'  as  (leorpje  111  wrote,  iiiadi 
jirovisiiiii  f(ir  tlii'  tlieht  of  the  royal  family  lieyond  tiie  Severn. 
The  army  of  defence  wa.-.  (piickly  swollen  to  ;}U0,()O0  and 
4i)0.iliii)  hy  zealdus  jiatriots  determiiieil  to  make  <,'ood  Bri- 
tiiiiiiia's  dearest  lioast  that  ■"liritons  never  shall  he  slaves," 
and  when  the  supply  of  muskets  was  exhausted  by  the  volun- 
tci  IS.  they  ui'iis]>ed  i)ikes,  and  even  pitchforks. 

llui_'e  |)iles  of  combustibles  were  made  ready  to  be  turned 
into  bonfires  as  a  signal  of  the  approach  of  the  nation's  ogre. 
Forts  sprang  up  aliout  London,  and  some  of  the  seventy-five 
iiiartello  watch  towers  which  were  erected  on  the  coast  still 

liiiiy    111'  seen. 

All  the  while  a  cordon  of  Briti.sh  sliij)s  of  war,  "those  raven- 


iu{,'  woh 


s  ot  tli'>  sea,      as  .Napoleon  called  them,  was  drawn 


I  th( 


about  the  teriilied  land.     Hut  tlu're  was  not  a  French  naval 


vessel  aii;.at  iii  the  Channel.     T^ 


Fre 


nc 


warships  were  a 


11 


sealed  up  in   the  harbours  of  the  Atlantic  and  the   Mediter- 
ranean, with  English  blockading  fleets  at  everv  harbour  mouth. 


How.  tl 


len.  could 


tlu'  English  shore?     Historv 


irmy  cross  the  Chann<'I  and  land  on 


annot  keep  a  straight  face  while 


recording  Napoleon's  solution  of  the  problem.     "Eiglit  hours 
of  calm  or  fog,"  he  said,  "will  decide  the  fate  of  the  uni- 


182 


IN'  TlIK  FOOTSTKPS  OF  N'APOLHOX 


verse.''  If  tlir  wjitcrs  would  l.c  still  tliat  lontr.  lie  ar^rur,! 
tiiat  his  inviidiufj:  hosts  coiiM  row  across  wliih'  the  British 
ships  hiy  hfcalmcd  and  lidph-ss  spectators  of  his  <hsccnt  uim.h 
the  doomed  ishiiid.  On  tiie  oth.'r  hand,  if  fortune  should 
<'h()ose  to  cover  the  waters  with  a  fo^'.  he  contended  that  iiis 
2(l(»()  hoats  could  dod^'e  throuLih  the  enemy's  tieet. 

Some  historians  reject ini:  all  that  ma'd  folly,  which  Na- 
poleon talked  for  two  years  as  he  paced  to  an<l  fro  heside  hi. 
telescope  levelled  at  Dovr  castle,  have  persuaded  themselves 
that  his  whole  scheme  of  invasion  was  a  mm-  ruse  to  enahh- 
him  to  marshal  his  forces  for  tiie  camp  d^^n  which  came  to  a 
cln.iax  at  Austerlit/.  Hut  there  is  evidence  enouj,'h  that  he- 
neath  his  nonsense  ahout  rowing,'  or  dodtrin-r  into  Hnjiland 
he  eoncealiMl  an  elahorate  plan  for  asse  .ililin?  a  '_'reat  naval 
rieet  that  should  swoop  down  upon  tlu  British  men-of-war 
and  sweej)  a  passant'  for  his  army. 

Leave  It  to  me."  lie  said  as  lie  kept  his  secret  locked  in  his 
hreast.  "I  will  surprise  tlh'  world  l.y  the  <rraiideur  and  rapid- 
ity of  my  strokes."  To  distract  the  British  hlockaders  of  his 
harhours  and  ^'ive  his  imprisoned  naval  tlects  an  opportunitv 
to  escape,  he  darkened  tlie  air  with  the  cloud  of  a  ^'iKantic 
deception.  Throwing:  u(-.  fortilications  on  the  southern  shore 
of  Italy  and  marching'  thousands  of  soldiers  down  the  penin- 
sula, he  lured  Nelson  away  from  Toulon,  out  of  which  the 
French  fleet  stole  and  sailed  unoi)posed  tliroii^'h  the  Straits 
of  (;il)raltar.  Assemhlin^'  an  army  of  20.0()()  in  the  west  of 
France,  with  a  noisy  pretence  that  it  was  destinei'  for  IrelaiKl, 
he  hoped  thus  to  distract  the  Britisli  hlockading  shii)s  off 
Bre.st,  enahle  his  own  vessels  to  slip  out  of  that  harhour  and, 
joiniiifr  the  Toulon  fleet,  suddenly  fall  upon  the  Channel 
sipiadron  of  the  Bi'itish. 

''The  English  know  not  what  awaits  them,"  he  remarked 
enip-matieally  to  his  suite  when  he  heard  of  the  escape  of  his 
Toulon  hattleships.  --If  we  have  the  power  of  crossing  for 
hut  twelve  hours  England  will  he  no  more."  P.nl  as  he 
waited  in  vain  for  his  ships  to  come,  he  asked  for  even  less 
time  and  pleaded  with  fate,  "Let  us  be  masters  of  the  Channel 
for  six  hours  and  we  shall  he  masters  of  the  woild." 


TilK  rXCONt^UKRED  SKA 


is:{ 


Still  liis  |ii'U(l(iit  coiiiiiianilcr  ;it  \\vt'^\  IhM  liiuk.  "Start, 
-t.iit  at  (HUT  I"  lie  coinmaiiilril  and  iiiii>Kiii(|  him.  "lii  your 
liamls  arc  tlii'  (Icsliiiii's  of  tlic  world."  IJiit  liis  tlccl.s  did  not 
;i|i|)(ar  on  tin-  liarc  wcstmi  liori/on.  On  the  coiiti'ary.  liis 
Tiiiildii  siiip.s  had  alirady  run  into  Cadiz  and  the  Jiritish 
watrlidojx.s  never  took  thfir  eyes  otY  the  rest  of  his  vr>>els.        ' 

Witli  t-'looiii  and  antrer  eloudint:  Ins  brow,  Napoleon  paeod 
the  sandy  hounds  of  tlie  uneon((Ueied  sea  and  hilterly  iiuit- 
t.  rrd  to  hiin.self  in  his  impotent  rafre,  '"Tlie  Kn^Hisli  will  he- 
r.iMir  viry  small  when  Franee  shall  have  two  or  three  admirals 
\vil|i!i<;  to  die."  I'.ut  .Mars  had  failed  to  snateh  the  trident 
fniiii  Neptune.  The  master  of  the  land  had  been  thwarted  by 
tlir  mistress  of  the  sea. 


THK   F.\I,I,  .IF  VIKNNA 


lt0.j      AGE   30 


WFFEN   XiipoIrOM   nisrd  his  ,.;nnp  ,if   fioiiloirnr  ;it  ;lir 
',!"';•*  ""■■s"'um..r„n,s(i;,,  1„.  lun.r.l  his  l.ark  upnn 
hiiL'h,ii,l    HI    a    irtivat    from    h.T   i,i\  incihlc  stroii-- 
-oh     th.  sra.  hut  only  lostnk..  h,r  .low,..  ,1   hr  ,.o„|,l,  amM 
tW  lulls  ot  (M.r.nany.     H.  nunvh,.,]  away  to  ro,,.,,..,-  th.  ,.„a.st 
ot   hun.|H.  an,l,  s.alin-  rvrvy  harbour  a-ainst   iJritisl,   tra.lr 
liJivc  lMi<j:laii(l  iiiarootinl  in  her  TolT. 

''''"■nrrforth  I,.,  liattlc.l  to  that  ."ml  alon,.,  wlivth.^  i,i  \us. 
tria  .<r  m  (i,.niiany  or  in  Spain  or  in  Kussia.  All  the  \a- 
|)olron„.  wars  na.l  no  ..th.r  ol,j..,.t  than  this.  Tlun-  w.-r,.  nut 
*?'■  *  "',  ••^="l>'-t  of  lan.ls.  I,nt  .,f  harhours.  |.;„.|an.l  Iwnl 
Hos,.,!  t,K.  s..a  to  I-ran.r  and  Fran,-.,  would  ..los,.  th.-  .■ontin.ni 
ro  IHT.  lo  l,v..  without  .•otnni.'nr,  without  H.M-ts.  uitlmut 
'•0  o.nrs  and  .suig.H-t  to  the  unjust  will  of  an  .unnv  ■■  Xa- 
pn  ,.on  sa„i  ,n  his  pro,.lan,ation  at  th..  op,.nin-  of  th,.  war,  '"is 
not  to  liw  like  Fivnclnncn." 

H.'  ma.l,.  war  to  win  for  Fran.-o  dominions  h,.vond  tl.o  s.m. 
Willi..  Fn.dan.i  ma.l,.  war  to  prot....t  th.  fou.ulaJions  she  was 
only  th.'u  laym-  „r  that  wwhl-wi,],-  Uritisl,  Kmpir..  whi.li 
<>"al].v  was  won  at  WaL-rloo.  Th.-  .!..stinv  of  Asia.  Afri,., 
|md  Australia,  an.l  i,..rliaps,  th..  Am..ri,.as  was  d..t..rinin...l  on 
til.'  hattl.fi.'l.ls  ol    Kurop... 

Th,.  alli..s  of  Fran,.,,  ami  Kn.land  .-hanu..,!  si.l.s  from  .am- 
'in^ii  t..  .anipai-n.  hut  th..  tw,.  prin.ipals  in  th..  Ion-  an,l 
'"^•"'>-  •'""'  n;i"aiiu.d  the  saiiu..  Tiiey  are  th..  rival  pow..rs. 
alunys  .•ont-iuhnfr  for  the  mast..ry  of  the  worl.l.  Fimlaii.l  witl, 
1-r  s  ups  an.l  h,.r  wvaltli.  Fram-e  with  th..  swor.l  of  Xapol,....i, 
wiueli  was  no  iiior..  than   a   w, ■■>„,.„   i,.>...... i    i-...,  .i  •  .,. 


■- 

I 


1S4 


Tin-:   FA  I.I.  OF  VIKNNA 


185 


sliakini;  .str'U'."_'lr   lictwcni   rdntlirtinu'   iwit  iotial    iiniMiNcs   that 

SWt'pt    over    I'iui'dlif    llkr    urr>ll||iu'    tldrs. 

It  Wiis  nil  irrrpiTssililc  coiitlict.  Many  liisfnriaiis,  traiispds 
iii'_' raiiM'  and  ciVict,  r'fprr^cnl  it  a>  a  war  I'nf  thr  ail\aiiri'ni<'iit 
dl' one  mail 's  |Mr,siiiial  aiiiljil  inn.  I'.iii  it  liriraii  wlulr  .\a[inl(iiii 
was  Vft  idliu'j  in  ('<irsica.  It  would  lia\r  ^(iih'  i.ii  to  thr  tiid 
r  sti'iiprd   t'oni   (III  thr  nIkiI'i's  of   l-'raiiiT.      Had  tin' 


.1  I 


ia<l  lif  in'\i 


'  rt'iicli  toiiiid  a 


•r  less   fcsoill'i'i  I'lll,   ilolllil  Irss   t 


ir    Illial    111' 


lisioii  won 
otliiT  hand 


hi   I 


ia\i'    llrrll    IllO 


vi'  i|iiii'l<ly   I'liidrri'd.      lint,  on  1 


Ir 


II'  I'rMilt  iiii!.dit  not  lia\r  iiri-n  so  di'ri-iivi,'  and 
l:iNtiii<_'. 

Ii  is  a  liiicl  on  iiianl<iiid  to  sa.\'  tliat  all  tiir  nations  which 
Na|i()lcoii  led  to  till'  slaimlitcr.  ycai'  alti'i'  yrar  for  tni  yrai's, 
hillowi'il  liiiii  iiicnl.x  to  tiattrr  his  sclf-i-oiici-it  and  pouicd  out 
thiir  Mood  onl.\'  to  \'rfi\  his  apprtitr  for  jiowrr.  \\i  was  Imt 
till'  a'^'fiit  of  a  init.'ht.\'  forn'  that  swrjil  kintrs  and  peoples  on 
its  iri'csistihli'  current.  The  irlor.\'  of  the  Alexanders,  the 
C'ii'sars.  and  the  Najxileons  is  no  more  than  the  foam  on  the 
hleakels  of  tile  e;reat  llloVelllents  of  lllen.  Hilt  li.v  watehini^ 
tlu  111  \\r  may  lust  mark  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  surein<,'  waves 
lit  Imtiian  history. 

The  chief  monarchies  of  I'".iirope  leajructl  themselves  for  the 
overthrow  of  tile  French  Kepuhlic  in  ITifi  and  atrain  in  17lt!>. 
A  third  coalition  was  formcil.  in  isd"),  to  take  from  the  Km- 
[tiic  the  con(|iiests  it  hail  inherited  frnm  the  Rcpuhlic.  Of  all 
tliiise  coalitions  Kiifrlaiul  was  the  soul  and  the  j^urse.  The 
Fiiiii'h  could  not  tij»ht  her  on  the  seas,  hut  she  could  tiu'ht 
them  mi  the  land,  not  always  with  Hii<rlish  soldiers,  perhaps, 
Init  with  her  pounds,  shilling's  and  pence,  and  with  the  dof:<red 
pi'i'sistetici'  of  her  national  chai'acter. 

Tile  ruliiiL;-  passion  of  Austria  and  her  Empi  ror,  Francis  I. 
was  to  recover  in  Ital.v  and  (iermany  the  rich  ])rovinces  they 
had  lost  in  two  disastrous  wars  with  France.  Russia  was  im- 
iHJled  liy  a  national  amhition  to  make  herself  the  foremost 
I'l'Wi  r  in  Europe  and  h.v  the  vanity  of  her  .voiithful  Czar. 
Alexander  T,  to  make  himself  the  arhiter  of  the  nations, 
Miamvhile  Prussia  timidly  held  hack  and  disappointed  the 
-••ilics. 


186 


i.\  Till;  {■•(KCj's!' Ill's  ()]•'  :\  \\'i)iA'j)S 


TUr 


;illi;illrr   \\,•|^  (  illii  pjct  r,  |    ;|||,|    t  Ih'  ca  m  p;|  i(_'tl   (111  t  !  1 1  K  ■(  1    caiiv 

ill  .\ii;.'us|.  Thr  Allhvs  ailiipii'ii.  Iinu,.\,r,  ili..  nl,]  t'aiiiiliar 
plan  (ij  Napdlci.n's  uinnirs,  miicrurcl  in  tlicif  ovrrwci'iiiiiLj 
(ii'MiT  to  iriakr  war  witlimif  takitp.'  tlh>  cliaiircs  of  war. 
Tlirii-  iiiirhaimiiiLr  i.lra  was  to  play  tli.'  lmiih'  sit.'  ami 
Miakr    sii.T,^s    .■-■itaiii.      'I'lhy    iirvrr    \riiliind    to    Imrl    tlifiii- 

sriv.'s    upon     \ap(,|,.()ii     ill     tiill     for ainl    >tak.'    cvr.-ythiiiL' 

""  ""I''  '■.■iiii|iai'-'ii  for  his  coiiii.lri,.  owrthrow.  11,"  iisrd 
flidvfofr  iv-iilarly  to  la;  down  for  the  in  format  ion  of  lii> 
p'li.  rills  this  proposition  :  •"riic  rn.iii.\ ,  in  flir  Austrian  'lan- 
Urr,  will  iiiaki  tlnTr  attarks.  I<.Miorr  two  of  tliiiu,  and  throw 
yoiii'si'Kcs  with  aM  your  foircs  on  the  third." 

Now  thr  Allies,  ]rr  Austrian  intliiciic(>,  wcr.'  still  fiirfhrr 

dividiiiL'  their  stivnu'th  to  inakr  srvrral  attacks  upon  him.  tjist 
on  Iho  hanks  of  thr  Danul.o  in  Crinany  ;  srcond,  in  Ilaiiowr; 
third,  in  iiorthrin  Italy,  and  fourth,  in  s,Hithrrii  Italv 
.Mon-ov.T  thry  s.Hi-ht  to  strike  him  while  his  haek  was  tiiriml 
and  he  was  pa.'iiii,'  the  shore  at  Houloi'm-,  still  ahsorhed  iu  his 

projeet     fi,f    i^i  ,  '),_r    lOil-'ia.id. 

An    Aiisti'ian    army,    therefore,    stealthily    moved    uj)    tli.' 

""""'"'  "f  '' '"•  of  Auu'ust,  and  a  iiu-sian  army  promised 

to  hasten  forward  in  time  to  .join  it  l.y  Oetol.er  I'd;  hut  the 
Austnans  failed  to  take  aeeount  of  the  interesting'  fact  that 
the  Jiiissiaii  calendar  is  twelve  days  h,'hind  theirs.  An  even 
iiioi'e  serious  misealeulation  was  madi'  liy  the  wise  men  of 
Vienna.  They  reckoned  that  Napoleon  W(mid  not  wake  up 
from  his  dream  of  .-apturint!:  Enprland  until  it  was  so  late  that 
he  could  not  possihly  hurry  an  army  to  meet  the  allied  forces 
In   the  i)ainilie  Iiefoi'e  .\ovemlier  ](). 

Watchiiur  him  closely,  while  tludr  armv  sileiitlv  crept 
toward  his  frontier,  tliey  flattered  themselves  tliat  lie  rcmaiiic.i 
nl.livious  to  his  peril.  They  were  de!ij,'ht.d  to  see  him 
dawdlinir  away  liis  da.v.s  at  P.oulot,Mie  or  at  St.  Cloud  in  seciii- 
incr  idleness;  hut  he  was  whispering',  however,  that  it  was  a 
time  to  ap])ear  pusillanimous. 

The  Paris  j)apei's  contaiiii'd  no  mention  of  the  impending,' 
Avar  or  of  the  movement  of  hostile  forces  toward  Franco.     Nor 

Wl'Te     tll..\'      tinfiM  it-t...l     ♦,.     1,;.,«      tl,..l-     il,  IV    ..  I  1     ,-i..        1     1    • 


.  I'^iv'l       itu^l      lliLCAi     li 


f '' 


Till;  FAij.  OF  \  r:\N.\ 


187 


i!ii|i  ill    r.<.UIil'_'-Ilr,   li.i.l    ||,'||,|i',l    L'lU'JMKI    h'l'rllrlliiirri   touaril    tlu' 

K'hiiit'.  Ii.iil  (ii-(|cn(|  l'..fii; dutfi'  to  iii;ir'i'li  tlir  l''r.iicli  iiiiiiy  of 
("•'■ti|iiitinii  (Mit  (if  IliiiMivr*  Inf  ihc  iiiir-|i(isi'  of  jfiiniiiL.'  tlii' 
'iiiind  Army  arMl  IiihI  diiirt'il  twn  miti'ir  armies  in  lialy  to 
[Hirry  tlic  attaii\s  aiiniil  at   him  tli-i'i'. 

Wlicii  in  (iiif  time  his  ar-miis  wrv  at  tnr  Khinr,  he  sud- 
linily  flit  (itV  thi'  (iiitiT  worM    iVnm    l-'raiirr  so  iliat    not   a    hint 

of    lllilitaf\'     moVriilillls    sho.llil    i-iMpr    to    thr    I'lhliiw        \'o    I'lir- 

I  lu'ii  mails  wrrc  prrmittcil  to  ha\r  thr  coiintiv.  \'.\rn  lli.; 
ili>|)<iti'ii«'S  of  tiio  iimliiissadors  at  i'aias  wir-c  li>  Kj  up,  and  not 
a  horse  WHS  idinwcd  to  t:o  across  the  iVontirr  iinlrss  Iw  carried 
.11    army    courier.      I""ranco   lircamc   in    a    (hiy    a    land    of    im- 

("ilrtl'ilhlc  silence,    Illlder  eo\eI-  of   wllidl    lier'   afm>'    I'fOSsed    ii'O 

U'hinc  lati'  iti  Septi'iuher. 

Tile  arm>  uliich  sped  over  tlie  Ivliine  had  iimhTtrnne  many 
iiianj.'es  in  the  moro  than  two  years  since  Najioh'oii  first  mar- 
^lialled  if  on  fhc  sandy  heielits  of  HoidoL'iie.  It  had  hccti 
I  rained  liy  master  hands  in  a  u'feat  school  of  war.  iVom  which 
it  went  forth  the  liesf  drilled,  the  most  mai,'niticeiit  military 
^"^'iy  'lie  \.  '  had  e\(r  seen.  Its  lirilliaiit  iU'coufremeiits 
Were  unstained  hy  scrvii'c  in  the  field,  and  its  soldiers  in  their 
<|i|eues.  Miiitiy  of  tlieiti  wcariiiir  ciir-riii^'s,  were  as  fresh  and 
!-|>iriteii  as  colts  dashiiij;  out  of  a  pasture. 

\>\  they  were  not  straiifrers  to  haffle.  For  altliout,di  no 
foe  had  Ventured  in  five  years  to  meet  triumphant  France  in 
fOMihat.  a  full  ludf  of  tliosc  2()0.<M)0  were  battle  veteran.i.  and 
a  fourth  of  tliem  had  fouirht  throiigii  all  the  victorious  wars 
of  the  lupuhlic  for  feu  years. 

The  \ery  name  of  the  oriranisation  wa.s  clianjred.  It  ceased 
to  he  the  Army  of  KiiLdand  when  if  turned  its  face  from  the 
sea  towaiil  ficrmaiiy  and  hci-ame  the  (Ji'anil  Army,  liearinw 
aloft  on  its  standards  for  the  fii'st  time  the  imperial  eaiiles, 
which  it  was  thenctd'orth  to  follow  from  Boul()<,'ne  to  Water- 
loo, hut  wliiidi,  after  all,  is  oidy  ai    •  isy  march  of  12;")  miles! 

Moreover,  wdule  it  tarried  hy  tiie  suore  of  the  English  Chan- 
nel, the  army  had  e.xpei'ienceil  a  deeper  (diange.  a  change  of 
idledaneo.     It  had  lost  its  soid,  atid  a  new  spiri'   had  .stolen 


tl,n.,....l,      ^\.. 


.  ..l.„      _  i-     il. 


V7i       i  .» W^v       y/Lty        111 


1  I    J'UlMi*    CUi       W  til  I  lOl  -"i. 


188 


IX  THE  F00TSTK1'>S  OF  XAPOLKOX 


Thoy  hnd  eoiiio  to.croflior  in  tli.>  name  of  tho  Fivncli  people. 
but  they  inarelied  to  war  now  in  the  name  of  one  man.  An 
itlol  hai!  (lisphieed  an  ideal  in  their  drvdlion  ami  Il,ey  frit 
no  more  tlie  old  stiri'iie.'s  ,,f  patiwotism  in  tli-ir  l)lood. 

Never  a^'ain  weie  they  to  li-ht  lor  tiieir  emintrv  and  for 
th.-mselves.  hut  ever  after  for  tlirir  Mmp.'ror  and  his  Empire. 
1  iiey  maivhcd  and  hattlr.l  no  lonuvr  to  carrv  lihertv  to  oth.'iN 
iMit  to  win  -l.,ry  f„r  tliemselves,  f,,,-  had  not  eve'ev  man  of 
them  li.H.,,  f,n)iiiis,.,i  a  marslial's  l)ato);  in  Ids  kna[>.sark.' 
\\  ]u'vr  ;,  ^'..m.r.Mis  if  faii.iti.'al  passion  for  fr.-edom  had  ^dou.d 
in  tiieir  breasts,  personal  andntion  now  ndi-d. 

Ti-ue,  they  still  bore  in  a  silvir  ease  the  heart  of  La  Tour 
d'Auvri'u-,,,..  that  iJayard  of  the  i;rvolution,  tliat  spartan  sol- 
dier of  the  K..puhlie.  who  (hspisrd  rank,  s<-ornrd  promotion 
and  aee,.pted  no  other  ivwanl  for  his  valmir  than  tlie  siiiiplr 
title  ot  thy  first  ^^•enadier  of  Franee,  On  their  rolls  they  still 
earned  his  iiaiie'  as  a  synonym  of  modest,  unseltisii  love  of 
country.  At  wrry  roll-eall  of  the  4(;th  d.'mi-hri^Mde  there 
still  ranjr  out  the  name  of  La  Tour  (FAuverirne  and  the 
solemn  rrsponse  of  th,.  ,,idrst  ^nTiiadirr:  "Dead  ou  the  field 
of  honour."" 

As  the  Cviiiu]  Army  marched  hy  his  .srave  in  Havaria— 
another  Fren.li  Repul)lic  has  sinee  jriven  his  hones  sepulture 
m  The  Livalides  at  Paris— it  was  -  ith  ranks  rlnvd  drums 
beating  and  swords  lift.nl.  Vet,  for  all  that  now  meaniii"- 
]es.s  ritual,  the  spirit  of  La  Tour  d'Auverirne  was  as  .lead 
ainonir  the  soldiers  who  pre.ssed  aft.^r  the  eairles  of  Xapoleoii  as 
the  Franee  for  whieh  he  had  given  his  life. 

Napoleon's  bulletins  themselves  reflected  tbe  chan^'e  that 
had  come  over  Franee  and  tl;..  army.  The  eonquerincAvatch- 
words  of  his  Italian  campaign,  " Libert v,  Fraternitv,  E.pial- 
ity.  '  were  discarded.  It  was  enough  for  h.im  to  sav  to  his 
army  now,  "Soldiers,  your  Emperor  i.s  in  the  midst  of  you  " 
and  to  bid  the  nation,  "let  ino.fidO  ,uore  FrenchuK^u'eonie 
and  range  themselves  under  my  flags." 

".My  soldiers  are  my  children,"  the  one-time  sons  of  the 
Kevolution  were  flattered  to  be  toid  by  the  Emperor.  Vet 
they  lookid  npon  him  more  as  a  comrade  than  as  a  father. 


THE  FALL  OF  VIFAXA 


189 


t 


h 


II-  was  still  tlii'ir  "Littlo  Corporal"  in  the  saiiii-'  simple  uni- 
foriu  and  tlii't'c-coriUTt'd  bla^'k  hat  that  he  wore  when  only  a 
gi'neral  of  the  Rc|)ulilic. 

None  ot'  the  old  nioustai-iies,  a  hisrh  offic  r  tells  ns,  \voidd 
have  dared  to  speak  to  the  lowest  suhiieutenant  with  the  t'ree- 
(Intn  they  showed  to  Xapoleon  himself  as  he  went  his  niszhtly 
round  of  the  hivouae,  stoppiiii:  to  talk  with  the  men  by  their 
camp  lires.  askiiii:  thein  what  they  were  eookintr  in  their  steam- 
inir  pots  and  smilinj^  with  aunisemenl  at  jestiiif^  familiarities 
which  he  would  n.it  iiave  tolerat>'d  amonj,'  his  marslials.  Those 
'iiLMiit.'iries  were  not  |)ermitted  to  take  the  slightest  liberties, 
and  were  re(|uired  to  show  themselves  duly  hu;iil)le  in  tlie 
imperial  presence.  They  had  their  reward,  for  Xapoleon "s 
ohiigations  to  them  were  amply  repaid  with  money  and  rank. 

But  to  the  jioor  multitude  who  were  tigliting  his  battles  for 
five  sous  a  day  he  presented  himself  as  a  kindly  friend  and 
powerful  champinn.  He  would  listen  to  the  comjilaint  of  any 
private  in  the  ranks  against  his  superiors,  and  he  aholisiied 
fleggiiig  in  his  earliest  eampaigns.  althonirh  until  then  Kui'ope 
never  had  seen  an  army  move  exeejit  under  the  lash. 

lie  did  not  ])retend  to  feed  his  soldiers,  however,  for  he  re- 
fused to  eiieumber  himself  with  magazines  of  supplies  or 
hui'den  the  Freneh  ta.xjtayers  with  th(>  cost  of  maintaining 
the  army.  The  men  were  turned  loose  on  the  peojile  of  the 
war-strieken  lands,  to  forage  for  themselves.  They  ravaged 
tile  shops,  the  cottages,  the  garchuis,  and  dug  up  with  their 
bayonets  the  little  potato  patehes  of  the  peasantry. 

Although  they  were  movMig  through  frien  lly  countries  and 
not  in  the  land  of  the  enemy,  no  attention  was  paid  to  the 
infuriated  outcries  of  the  devastated  inhabitants.  Xai)oleon 
calmly  assured  his  geii'  rals  that  the  j)eople  really  did  not  care 
it  they  were  robbed,  and  it  was  a  saying  anion  ■  the  soldiers 
that  "a  man  is  like  a  sheaf  of  wheat:  the  more  you  beat  him 
the  more  he  yields."  Accordingly,  the  peasants  were  mauled 
until  they  gave  uji  their  last  copper. 

As  the  Freneh  marched  throuixh  ("Icrmany  in  the  rain  and 
sleet  and  mud  of  a  cold  (^etober.  they  stripped  the  villages  as 
tlicy  went,  leaving  them   hare   for  the   rear  cohimns.     Some- 


I'll) 


I\'  THE  FOOTSTKI'S  OF  XAI'OIJ-OX 


tum-s  th.-  Inn.hnost  floun.l.ml  tl.rou<,l,  tl,,.  nuuhW  roa,ls  for 
inswH   on,   ..onnn^npon.pi.    Hu.-k..nor,.v..n.]oaf 
tM      s         ,   as   ,!„.„■    I,.,s    lasT,.,l.    In.n.ry    sol.Ii.rs    .nan-h.,] 

;;:;;:i,:i";;::::' ;"■  ^'^  ""■^-  ^^■"'••■-  ''^-  ""■"•  •--■--  -  'i-'i 

Tlu.  army    havi,,.  ,.ross,.,|  ,1„.  Khi,,,  ,t  fiv.  difT.n.nt  point. 

^.-..1   n„.„.  ,.,.s  or  a   ,„o„s„.„us  IkuhI  pn.pan.l  to  i    «/     s 
'v.^       \apol..on    !,;„!   brought   lus   lonvs   ii.to  the  th.atr     0 
ar    nil  s.v.n  ...ks  h..fo,v  his  ..n,.nnc.s  had  supposed™^ 

■sil»h'  lor  him  to  confront  them  ' 

Mcanuhil.  (;,.n..ral  Ala.k.  th.  Austrian  ..ommamhT,  was  sit- 
n^.nvn     ,Mh.)an,d.  within  th.forti,i.a,H^^^^ 
tm'    ol    I    m.   „n    tin.    honors  of   Havana   and    Wi„.t..mh,.n' 

•\lli-.     Oi.n.      he    allird    armu's    l,ad    .-om..    together     th.v 

panned  t.,  ,0  torth  to  m.v,  th.  IHatcd  iMvn.h  in  th;i^^^^^^^ 
.   t.     1-or    of   .-onrso     \apo!,.on   would   eonn-   through   the 
t<ne.^t      iMvueh  armies  always  had  rome  that  wav 

-o^cni,  st,-ai,ht  ahead  certain  that  Xapoleon'was  intend- 
m  to  attack  Inn,  M,uarely  u.  front,  .Ma,.k  had  no  eves  for 
•y>.   I-nncs.   Soult,   Davnnt,  and   .Marn.ont.  on   his  ri'.d.t 

;■.-•    culumns    were    hcndin,    toward    iiim    from    the        "rt  ' 

A\  hen  their  presence  did  dawn  upon  his  understandin.^  a    1    ' ' 

'■     i'.m.l.    they    must   1-  en,a.vd   in  so,„e  other      n^^^^^^^^^^ 

k:  -i^ic^d t;  '";■"? ■  >'"""  '"■  ^"'•■"■''  ^<' ^'-' th  £ 

"  M         F       '/"■'/"-""■^^•'■"  •'"■'•  ''^''1  ^'"t  in  l-hind  him.     For 
JM)(K)  l^M.nch,   havm,^  cross,.,]  the  Danuhe  without  encouu- 

^'■'■'"^'  '■'■f  ' "•   "■-•'■  •-'•'■in.  hoth   the   Russian   iim    of      |. 

V'"H-e  and  th,.  Austrian  lin,.  of  n^treat  to  Vi,.nna  Prison  r' 
--•e  jrath,.,.,.,!  n,  hy  th..  thousand.,  often  without  ],•"', 
oi'I'ortunity  to  oir,.r  th,.  |,.ast  ,|,.f,.nee.  ^ 

I  Im    ,|,n,kl.v   h..,.am,.   a   ,-auv,   with    from   2r..000   to  27  000 
te,.oatsa,H|M,n^^„,,,,,„„,,nni,.     The  h.ulen  skies  whH. 
'''".''""■'■.'■''  "J"'"  ""■  •"■'".■'.^>',.r..,i  town,  hurst  into  a  mo  kill 
-Hie  a,    Hslallamla    hnlliant  sun   beamed  upon  ^ 

Muerur  as  h..  st.KuI  on  the  hillside  at  the  northern  ^ate  in  tl". 


a 


Till-:   FALL  OF  VIKNNA 


191 


iiiiilst  ot    ins  (lii//liiiLr  s 


tiilV  t 


0     n'Ccivr    till'    sllfl'i'lldcl'    Ol'    tl 


'I'llll'Minlil 


Wliili-  111.'  cajitivi'  ;inii; 


sili'iitl 
tiiiii:  its  arms  at  the  t'crt  (if  .Xaiiolmii,   llii- 
lillrd  thr  vailt'v  01  the  Danube  with  t 
rKiiipriTiir !" 


i(> 


y  mari-hcd  nut  to 


Vii'lofinils     l-'lTllcl 


irir  irloatiu'^-  rvv 


Viv, 


T 


;nn])ai^n  o 


f  ri 


in  was  at  an 


Vu  Austiiaii  annv 


nf  laTliaiis  ciirhty  tiiousainl  iiim  had  Imtu  sinashiMJ  in  threi' 
wi't'ks,  and  aliO!."-tliiT  ahovf  hfty  tliuu-and  in'isnm'fs  had  licfu 
takrii.  Till'  world  stood  astounded  h_v  thr  rapidity  and  eoni- 
iii'-tcuess  of  Xapoleon's  suecess.  wliieli  he  seenird  to  iiave  won 
hy  wizardry. 

As  the  new   Kniperor  di'aiiird  the  eup  of  vietoi-y.  however, 
lif  found  a  bitter  drau'dit 


niiuLded    uitli    its  sweetness.      For 


liie  ilay  after  the   fall   of  Fliu,  the   Battle  of  Traf 
foULlht  oil'  the  eoast  of  S 


u''ar  was 


paui. 


>:.i 


son.  dvintr  victorious  in 


i-oekpit   of   his   llauship,   had   won    \'nr    flnuland 


th( 


en  the  sea  which  left  her 


alisdii 


ltd 


V  nucha 


waters  for   Id!)  y 
down  the  tiauLre. 


a   supmnacy 
llenLied  in  Lurotiean 


ars  when,  in   llilL  annthci-  l-'mperor  threw 


Swallowiiijj;  the  liitter  di'au'dit  of  Tr 


iial'^ar 


n'douhled  deterniiiuition,  turned  anew  to 


Xapol 


tlie  land.     As  hr  nuirchcd  on  V 


eon(|Uei' 


con,  with 
urland  on 


iinna  at   full  speed,  the  Aus- 


Tl 


le   1-tu- 


trian  imperial  family  and  ai'istocracy  took  fii^iht. 
pcror  Francis'  fourteen-year-old  dau-rhter,  the  Archduchess 
-Marie  Leuise,  found  hers.df  once  more,  as  ei^dit  years  before, 
driven  by  Xapoleon  from  her  ])alace  home.  The  ^'irlish  wan- 
derer amonii'  the  castles  of  Hungary  and  Galieia  wrote  a 
frien.l  from  one  of  her  refuges:     "God  must  be  verv  wroth 


witli  ns.     Our  family  is  all  scattered 


my  dear  parents  are  at 


"!!iiiit/;  we  are  at  Kasehan ;  there  is  a  third  colony  at  Ofen. 
lint  she  strove  to  keep  up  her  eourafze  witli  the  philosophic 
iissurance  that  "the  time  must  come  when  tl 
I'lM'  heart.     Perhaps  God  }ias  h't  1 


le  usurper  wi 


11 


him  go  so  far  to  uiake  his 


rum  more  complete,  when  He  shall  have  aliandoned  h 


W 


nn. 


\- 


hen    the   contpieror   api)eared    in    front   of   the   walls   o 
[•una,  in  November,  the  verv  walls  whiidi  120 


liiid  stood  like  a  dike  to  stop  a  flood  of  Turks  f 
"ver  Christendoiii    the  gates  of  tl 


f 

years  before 

rom  pouring 

le  city  were  opened  to  him 


PI 


192 


IX  Till-:  FOOTSTKI'S  (»F  XAPOLEOX 


witliont  wnifin-  for  Imn  to  kiio.l„  Witlioiit  liriti-  n  shot,  li- 
I'ini  lircorii,.  th..  m;ist<.r  of  a  .-jty  with  a  |u,p,ilation  of  10(1  (lOii 
jnsidc  tho  walls  and  lar-r  siihurhs  Ivin-  outside'  its  forti- 
fications.  For  tlir  lirst  tin.,.,  li-  ,.„t, •,•.■,]  the  .•on.,ucn.,I 
oapitiii  of  a  so.-erpifrii  and  mad,.  Iiiins,.|f  at  lioi.i,.  in  tlu'  palac,. 
of  a  fiigitivp  nioiiar,.|i.  .Mari,-  Louis,. "s  favourit,.  homo  fl,. 
lovely  Sclii'iDhi-imii. 

Tho  ,l,.f,.n,I,.,.s  of  Vi,.nna  i)ad   vanisli,.,!  l„.fov,.  liini  onlv  to 
lii'p'.i    Mortl.wanl    an,|    unit,,    will,    tli,.    Russians   an.on./ tl„. 
hill.s   ol    .Moravia,    wli,.,.,.   tli,-   C/ar    Al,.xan<i,T   an<l    Emp,.,.„r 
J^ran.'is  unv  ,.onti,i,.ntly  |,lannin-  to  ,tus1i  th..  Corsiefu  up- 
start who  liad  dar,.,!  to  assuiue  tlie  iiapt'iiai  rank. 


CIIAPTKU  XXTV 

THE  SIX  OF  AISTKHLITZ 

180j     age  :i6 


I 


(~^^i)ME  <^rat  battlofiolds  aro  liko  some  pn'oat  men;  tho 
^^  rloser  you  come  to  them  the  smallrr  they  appear. 
K_/  Austerlitz  and  t'le  sun  of  Austerlitz,  for  examph',  aro 
known  to  every  sehoolboy  in  the  western  hemisplu-re.  They 
spell  success  the  world  round,  just  as  Waterloo  is  synonymous 
with  defeat.  Yet  the  nearer  Austerlit;^  is  approaelied.  the 
more  obscure  it  hecomes.  It  is  not  even  a  dot  on  the  oflicial 
iMJlwiiy  iiuip  of  Austria. 

At  Hruiui,  in  whose  Austrian  castle  ^^ilvio  Pcllico,  the  Italian 
pjitriof-prisoiu^r,  wrote  his  sad  and  moving  tale.  '"My  Prisons," 
atiil  where  Napoleon's  army  made  its  headtpiarters  in  the  open- 
iiiir  winter  of  180.1,  the  fjuide  iiooks  and  the  hotel  people,  with 
all  their  volubility  aliout  the  surrouiuUnt^  attractions  and 
iiciu'lilioiiring  excursions,  are  reticent  concerning  Austerlitz. 
fifteen  nnles  away.  p]ven  the  8.')()0  inhabitants  of  the  village 
of  Austerlitz  itself  have  to  think  twice  before  they  can  call  to 
mind  the  name  by  which  tlieir  little  town  is  celebraved  on  the 
p.'ifrcs  of  history.  For  they  are  mostly  Moravians  who  speak 
the  Czechish  tongue,  and  they  call  their  place  Slavkova.  Thus 
tile  sliiiiing  name  of  A-.'stcrlitz,  which  is  dimmer  at  Vienna 
than  it  is  at  San  Francisco,  vanishes  (juiti'  at  the  gates  of  the 
town. 

Not  (inly  is  Austerlitz  not  Austerlitz,  but  lliei-e  never  was  a 
hattle  (if  Austerlitz.  Not  a  volley  was  tired  within  the  limits 
of  the  town.  Two  I^mpei-ors  rode  out  of  the  village  one  De- 
cpinber  morning  to  wrestle  with  a  third  Emperor  in  front  of 
Austerlitz.     i^ut   ihev  did   not   light   in  tiie   town  or   for  the 

193 


194 


IN   TIIK    KOOTSTKPS  OF  XAl'OIJOoN 


town.     It   licltcr  suited   Xapolcon    liowcvcr.   to  fiiiphasiso  hU 
victory  In-  iiaiiiiii','  thr  liatllc  for  tiic  villa-r  in  wiiidi  the  twd 


(li't'catcd   I'liiiiici 


jxTof.s  had  made  tlicir  liradi|uarti'i-s  and  to  wi'iti 


liis  liidlcti 


111  tlic  snow  lit  a  w  mtfi'V  niirlit. 


11  i  I  till'  viT.v  room  iVom  wliich  lie  drove  tliciii  f( 


II  forth 


Xai'ol 


I'olcoii  not  only  named  tin-  battle  to  please  Ins  faiiey,  hiit 
lie  also  ehose  the  iiattle  LM'onnd  and  ewn  the  hattlc  day."  '  Ar- 
ies at  the  foot  111' 

ielllia.     the     heir    of    till' 


i'lved  at   nrinin.  the  .Mora\iiiii  capital  which  1 
a  castled   hill   ninety   miles  north   of   \' 


vevolntion  loudly  clamoured   for 


lirother,"  the  heii>  of  Charles  \',  and 
of  I'cter  the  (.'reat,  who  \\f\;-  at  tin 


peace  in  his  appeals  to 


'  mv  lirotlier,      th 


e   Icu' 


at  Olmiit/.  some  lift 


tier.     II 


•  •amp  of  the  allied  army 
y  mil.s  north  and  near  the  Russian  froii- 


takeii    f 

tllev   01 


i-s  eager  entreaties,  as  he  slir 


or  a   craven   conf 


ewdly  intended,  were 


mis- 
ession    of   weakne-s   and    fear.     And 


il\-  serve:,'  to  emlioiden   the  impei'ial   All 


battle,  then  and  there,  the  verv  ti 


les  to  give  him 


When   he  sa 


w  tile  welcome  sIl'iis  that 


ung  lie  was  seeking. 


lis  two  "brothers. 


Alexander   and   Francis,   were   suftieieiitly    tiatlcivd 


eonceit  that  tiiey  had  caught  hit 
saw  them  pivpariiiL'  to  smite  hi 


ill    their 


11   111  a   desperate  filight  ami 
he  gallo])ed  out  on  the  road 


111.  I.I 


to  Oliimtz  for  the  imrpose  of  getting  the  lay  of  the  land 


tween  him  and  tl 


le   eliemv. 


p 


to  the  east  of  Brunn.  he  studied  tl 


ms'iig  at  a  fioint  a  dozen  miles 


III  his  stratcg 


le  scene  in  silence. 


battle   of   Austerlit/,    for  t 


ic  imairinatiou  .>a[)oleon  was  lighting  then  ti 


Sfiread  before  him.     (),,  )h,.  eastern  i 
("ar[)atliiaii  .Mountains  rising  to  form  the  II 


le   held   of  that    great   coinhat   was 
irizoii  he  saw  the  Littli^ 


fort 


y  miles  away;  but  his  practised 


nngarian 


front 


ier 


e.ve  lingered  on  the  roll- 


ing plains  andgeiitle  hilLs.  little  ,hiles  and  brooks,  ponds  and 


marshes  lying  in  front  of 


The   Allies   would 


the  village  of  Austerlit/ 


eome   down   the   road    from   Olmutz.   he 


irgued.  while  his  own  outposts  fell  back  before  their  ad 


and   steadily   drew   tliei 


vaiicc 


forces  would   I 


II  on   to  t!ie   ;,attle  Lrround. 


beliind 


e   more  than   half 


wliere  Ins 


a    range   of   hills   west   o\'   Aust 


concealed   as   !h 


e\-    croile 


propi 


flv  the  Ai: 


eiiitz.     Xaturall 


\-   ami 


les  would  aim  to  get  around  him  on  the  riulit 


I 


1 

I 


THE  SIX  OF  ALSTKKLITZ 


195 


or  south,   ill    tlhir  clTort    to  ,-iit    liis   linrs   to   Vifiiu;!   iuid   to 
Itriiiin  atnl  pla.'c  tlifiii.-,(  \v,-s  hd  vmi  him  liiuj  thusr  cities. 

Xupoh'oii.  liDwcvrr,  I'ciiril  on  |||,.ir  atlmiiil  irpj-.  al'lri'  thi' 
f.i-sliioti  of  iiis  tors,  to  (id  ilir  I'iuht  thill!,'  in  ilir  wroiiir  way. 
Ilf  knew  tliry  uduhi  tliiich  I'imhi  stakiii",'  t'Vci'ytiiinj,'  on  a  sinu'h' 
move  ,111(1  wduld  not  iiavc  the  coiii'ai.'c  to  thinw  tiiciiisclvcs 
ii|>oii  iii.s  ri-iiit  win-,'  in  a  solid  liddy.  In  their  anxiety  to  make 
siii'ccs.s  ct'ftain.  they  would  iii;ike  it  iiiipossihle  hy  sendinir  only 
a  part  of  their-  army  atrain><t  his  v\'j\i\.  while  they  sent  anotlier 
piirt  airaiiist  his  left. 

-Moreover,  he  took  note  of  the  fact  that  their  priiiei|ial  iiiove- 
incnt  would  have  to  he  made  across  a  lirook  Jiiid  hetweeii  a. 
Iiicli  hill  aiui  .some  |)()nds.  luitural  eoiiditiiuis  thai  would  aid 
liiiii  to  retard  and  emharrass  them.  And  while  they  were 
striking  at  his  two  wind's,  lie  would  hold  the  m;iin  liody  (,f  his 
forces  in  his  hand,  ready  to  hurl  it  like  a  thiinderholt  "at  their 
(•(■litre  and  thus  hreak  their  army  in  two.  It  would  he  the 
old  stoiw  rejieated  so  ol'teii  on  the  fields  of  Xapoleon's  vic- 
tories. His  foes  would  (inide  to  attack  him  while  he  united 
to  attack  them. 

After  he  had  linished  ti<.ditiii^'  the  hattle  in  his  fancy,  as  he 
sat  in  liis  saddle  on  the  hiirh  road,  he  turned  to  ids  waitinj,' 
and  watdiin-  naiV.  ".M.ike  a  careful  note  of  all  these 
licii-dits,"  ho  fomniaiided.  "It  is  here  you  will  fi>rht  hefore 
two  months  are  over."  His  only  mistake  was  that  the  enemy 
did  not  wait  two  months  hut  only  two  weeks  to  meet  him  oil 
tile  i.'round  he  liad  (diosen. 

The  chief  military  commanders  of  the  allied  armies  jiru- 
'Icntly  counselled  the  atloption  of  a  waitini,'  policy  and  de- 
fensive measures  until,  hy  making'  a  wide  detour."  the  other 
Austrian  army  in  the  south  had  comt"  to  join  the. a.  I?ut 
I'.nil.eror  Francis  was  impatient  to  recover  his  lost  capital  and 
ilominions.  and  tlie  twenty-ei<,'ht-year-old  Czar  was  hurnins? 
with  ca<renie,ss  to  sec  a  iiattle.  as  also  were  the  youn-r  nohles 
who  surrouuded  him.  .Many  were  certain  tluit  .Vapoleon  had 
with  him  no  more  than  40.000  men. 

The  monarchs,  therefore,  taking  matters  in  their  own  un- 


196 


IN  Til  JO  ]•'()( )TSTi:i";  OF  \aimlf:o\ 


tr;iinr,|  iiiuMls.  .IrtiTiiiiiir,!  to  innvr  at  oner.  Soon  flic  Allirs 
cam.-  upon  Kivncli  oiit[)o>ts  aloiii:  ili.'  liniiin  road,  Ixit  th,..' 
(Ic(l  iu't'oiv  them  and  l.d't  tlir  way  opr,,  to  Aiistrrlit/,  \\\utv 
fiir  lwi»  l':nii)rrors  loiiiid  a  pleasant  diatfaii  for  their  head. 
(|uart(i's. 

N'apolron  liad  iurn  ridiiiL'  over  the  lirld  all  day  and  watrji. 
iii'-T  the  position  of  111,.  Allirs.  Kroin  the  liills  hrliind  whirl; 
li''  liiid  postrd  most  of  liis  7r),(MM)  mm  lir  looked  across  a  plain 
t"  the  incampmcnt  of  tlic  enemy  two  miles  in  front  of  Aus- 
t<  riit/  on  the  hanks  of  a  little  river  that  flows  to  the  west  of 
the  town. 

Out  of  the  plain  lictwecn  the  two  armies  rose  tlie  bi<r,  steep 
lull  of  Pratzcn.  whjeh  any  uviicral  in  Kiiropc,  except  Xa- 
f.jleon.  woidd  have  seized  upon  as  an  admirahlc  position  t.) 
defend.  P.ut  he  had  come  to  Moravi-  to  dcstrov  an  armv  not 
to  hold  a  hill. 

He  left  the  liill.  therefore,  without  a  man  on  it  in  order 
that  the  Allies  mi^rht  ,,ot  he  diverted  from  their  nict  ly  laid 
plans.  III.  eotdd  have  delivered  '(mly  an  ordinarv  hattlc." 
from  th.'  heij:hts  of  i'ratxen.  he  informed  those  marshals  who 
were  surprised  to  see  him  ne<,deet  the  tempt itif;  opi)ortunitv 
th.-  hill  olfcred  him  for  the  postin^'  of  troops  and  artilU'rv 
iiiid  an  "ordinary  battle"  would  uecessarilv  have  meant  an- 
other battle  afterward. 

To  Napoleon  a  war  was  not  a  series  of  sparring  matches. 
On  the  contrary,  he  went  into  ev.-ry  battle  witli  the  purpose 
of  fightinfr  to  a  finish,  and  he  meant  now  to  end  the  war  with 
one  .stair.irerinir  blow  over  the  heart  of  his  foe.  "Whatever 
they  may  say,  believe  n.e."  so  ran  a  maxim  to  whiidi  he  re- 
mained faithful,  "a  man  li^'hts  with  cannon  as  with  his  tists." 

Even  while  he  prazed  at  tlu'  plain  the  day  before  the  battle, 
he  saw  the  left  win^r  of  the  alli.Ml  army  pushins;  all  the  time 
toward^  the  smithcrly  foot  of  the  hill,  and  he  reniarked  in  a 
tone  of  (juiet  rejoiein^':  "[^(d'ore  to-morrow  nifjiit  lluit  araiv 
will  he  mine."  Tt  was  benrinniiifr  the  opi>ration  wliich  would 
expose  its  hi'art  to  his  blow. 

So  clearly  did  he  foresee  the  character  of  the  hatth'.  he  took 
his  entire  armv  into  his  confideiiee  :.n,!   in   i,i.   .,..,^,.1.,..,..*;,,,, 


THE  SUN  OF  AISTKRLITZ 


197 


which  w;is  n-ad  at  tlic  lirail  of  fvcry  tiatlalion.  ln'  iiiailf  tliis 
.  \i  ladnliiiary  amioiiiircinriit  :  ""We  ()cimi|i\  a  t'ofiiiiilalilo 
[xjMtiuii.  ami  wliilc  thr  Ixiissiaiis  and  Aii>triaiis  ai'f  iiiarrhiri!^ 
to  turn  my  ri!,'lit  \viii'_'.  their  think  will  lit'  nprn  In  u'^.  " 

That  cdmraiiic  frankness  was  fullowed  in  the  iii-(iclainati(in 
hy  a  r'inarkahle  iile(|;_'e.  Mdst  edmmanders,  when  seekini,'  to 
inspire  their  men,  promise  to  shai'e  theii-  jn'rils.  Napoleon 
addpted  the  ojiposite  eonrse  and  aj'pealed  to  his  soldiers  to 
hi-  his  sliield,  his  protectors  from  (hin'_'er.  This  iini(iue  hidletiu 
is  ih)cninentar>-  cvith'iict'  of  the  alVeetion  and  loyalty  in  which 
the  (Irand  Army  hehl  its  cotninaiider-iii-rjiief :  ""Soldiers,  1, 
iiiyscir,  -vvill  direct  all  your  battalions.  If  with  your  aceiis- 
toiiicd  l)ravery  ynu  earry  disoi'ih-r  and  confusion  into  the 
ciiciuy's  ranks  1  shall  hold  myself  distant  from  the  fire.  But 
.slould  victory  for  a  moment  seem  doubtful,  \-ou  shall  see  your 
r,lll|)er()r  expose  himself  to  the  foremost  stl'okes." 

-V  very  dark  tn^dit  fell  upon  the  field.  Thi'ou},'h  the  ha/y 
iiii>f.  .Napoleon  saw  the  enemy's  liuhts  'jieanun;.'  dimly;  hut 
li>'  had  tile  French  fires  put  out  in  order  that  his  position  mi^'ht 
rm;  lie  disclosed.  His  bivouac  had  been  set  up  on  a  hill  not 
•;ii'  from  the  liifrh  road,  between  iJi'unii  and  Austerlit/,  and 
ti\e  miles  from  the  headiiuai'ters  of  the  Allies.  That  imiierial 
iialiitation  was  only  a  miserable  hut  made  of  straw  and  the 
iimhs  of  trees,  with  a  hole  in  the  roof  to  let  the  smoke  ascend 
fi'iiiM  the  (ire — it  was  a  cold  first  of  December. 

After  a  brief  sleep  in  the  eveninf,',  the  Emperor  rose  to  take 
line  more  view  of  his  own  lines  and  those  of  his  foe.  As  he 
walked  past  his  silent  army,  one  of  his  escorts  lighted  his  way 
with  a  torch.  The  sentries  seeinfj  his  face  in  the  flickerint? 
t.'lar(>  raised  a  cry  of  "Vive  rEmpereur. "  The  shout  ran 
tliroii'^ii  the  cami)  and  roused  the  sleepinjr  soldiers  from  their 
dreams  of  la  Belle  France.  As  they  stnij,'<.de(l  to  their  feet 
and  shook  themselves  awake,  they  pulled  the  straw  from  their 
beds  on  the  frozen  frround  and  light iii'jr  it,  tens  of  thousands 
of  torches  soon  were  tearing  in  the  inky  blackness  of  the  night, 
while  the  thunderous  cheers  of  the  (irand  Army  rolled  among 
the  hills. 


.5  » 1  vj  t*  I  1 


198 


l\  THE  I'uoTSTKi's  OK  NAPr)L[.;ox 


trians  and  som.  of  tl„.i,.  ,.In.,fs  u-.r.  .lann..,l  ■,n.^v  l-st   tho 

i:;;t;>''''',t''''' '''■'':;■' --•''''■ -'-toft.,..  ;.•::,, 

'I'    .nHl,t.s,i..t..n.l..r.s.  ulnl,.  th.,v,,ran,v,ial-outtl...  KM.,..'...,- 
.)"  "-l'"'.  joyous  n.|,.l„,„i„n  of  its  firs,  lurtl..iav 

M.t  I  ,.  Hi  ha u  h,.,.„  ,ssu.,l  ,n  torty-n.,!.      .„urs,  ou.  hu,'..  loaf 

^r'X'l  """■>    ^':'-''""-— ^Po-'to.srnasti,^i„ 

.n«.    ton,H.,iov..,..n,lp>..k...ioM..orth,.mout.     As  l,.  at.  „  h' 

pisons?  Hunipl,,     tl„.  n.au  n.,,l,..,i.  ••  th.v  a,v  i„.tt,.r  tlnn 

;tl.m^'.hu,t.>o,nu..l,l,k..r..M..„  ,•„.,,.••     ••\VHi..,      ,,     '•" 
'   '•'""V"'-  '"•.':;'-''•  "'"'P  -"•■  to  .iislo.1,..  thos..  rascal    ov;.r 
ti"van.iu,.uillhav,.a.Manii(;,.asat  Vi,„na■' 
Mos    tlus.i  .      I  ,„,„„„„  „„.,,  ,„  ,,,,.  ,,^^^^_^^  ^^^         ^n.na.li.rs 
ou  s  KHt    Kn-.Mo  ,i.ht  .^ 

sians  to  ..Irh.at..  tli..  an.uwrsary  of  tl.y  crovvuius  " 

As  Napoh^ou  r,.tunH.,i  to  his  hut  on  the  hill,  hc'oxclaim..ci 
This  IS  th.-  luicst  tuLrht  of  niv  lit'..'"'  ^-^naun.ci, 

fo;^'  [h'lniTif';'':  "7  ";"'■'"'■  ^^^^  ^^^'^^  ^»^«'"  ^»^  ^-^^-^^ 

';  .  .  th  '"'■'■  ^^'""'''"''  '''''  ^'^"^  ^'"  ''i'-'-^-'lf  ^vouM 
.slui),  hut  he  rose  and  hmved  the  puneh.  Then  he  .In-^.s-d 
Ins  n.as  ..,.,  puttu.,  on  hi,n  the  fa.niliar  ,rev  over.J, 

1  iH"  day  ot  Austerlitz  ha.l  hrok.n  eold  and  fjlooniv  with  the 
to  arnues  lost  „,  a  thi.-:-:  fog.  The  Grand  Army  ^e'cd  Id  L 
rations  of  soup  and  brandy,  and  the  tumult  of  tens  of  t  Ut 
nd  .rtl  .'::^7'  three  ..mpires,  with  their  hors.-s  and  L  o^s 
an.l  artill..,>  soon  filled  the  air  as,  without  seeing  where  thev 
wmj^gon,,,  they  blindly  moved  forward  over  the  Wedie 

When,  however,  the  marshals  had  gathered  bHun.l  Napoleon 

:'t^r.:r:?r:::i^!!r.?''-';^'''-- '■--"•  soonthe^:tr^ 


"the  suu  of  Austerlitz'"— s^hoT... 


iL\jii.i      Hit*      uiuc 


11'' 


( 


p 


Till-;  si\  (»!•■  Ai  sii;i;m  TZ 


m) 


>k\.  As  tlic  Iliiiprror  stoml  on  tlif  brow  of  the  li.il  in  aihaiu-c 
<if  liis  suite  ami  aloiH',  Ik-  catrtTly  watdifd  flic  Kussiaiis  imirtk- 
iii^  from  a  bank  of  io\i  iiinl  (li-apprariii^r  in  aiidtlnr  as  tlif.v 
(lisccndi'il  into  a  docp  Imllow  lnyoiul  tlir  faitlitr  slopes  (if 
"rat/fii.  Tliry  were  so  mar  liiiii  that  witlmiit  liftiiiu'  liis  lickl 
•llass  he  fould  distiiitxiiisii  the  cavalry  frniii  the  infantry. 

liis  forecast  of  the  hattli'  was  lieiii^  vcrilicd.  To  some  pass- 
ing.' regiments  lie  I'xnltantly  slioiitcl  in  Ids  I'icli,  full  toiics. 
wliicli  sent  a  llirill  thtniiirli  the  iMiiks:  "Soldiers,  we  must 
tiiiisli  tliis  (•aiii|)aitrn  with  a  thunderclap  tlial  shall  ciinfound  the 
prulL'  of  our  eiicuiiesl"  'liic  res[iiiiisc  wa>  a  lusty  roar  (if 
"Vive  I'Kmpei'cur !"'  as  the  incii  lifted  their  hat^  on  their 
Imyonets. 

Just  then  two  tiicii  ridiuu'  in  fnint  of  a  party  of  horsemen 
pdlopt'd  alonsr  the  mad  toward  the  villaL'e  df  I'ratzen,  near 
the  foot  id'  till'  lii^'  hill.  One  was  in  a  liLnk  uidfm'm  with  a 
wliite  plume  and  seated  on  a  chestnut  Ikmsc,  the  ntlur  in 
a  white  uniform  on  a  black  horse.  'Ihev  wei'e  the  allied 
Kiiipemrs  who  fi'om  tlieii'  hill  (d'  obser\at ion  elo^c  to  the 
town  of  Austerlitz  had  descended  U|ion  the  Held  to  see  lor 
themselves  the  cause  of  a  i^nat  confusion  annuity  their  troops. 
Tile  pri'sciice  of  their  iiiiijcstii's  and  the  commamls  the\-  \:n\i- 
stirred  a  tardy  movement  to  oceupx  the  still  bare  lieiLrhts  of 
I'ratzen. 

As  Xapoleon  saw  the  Russians  climbing'  the  hill,  he  turned 
ill  his  saddle  and.  breaking;  a  lonir  silence,  (piietly  iiKpnred, 
■"Marshal  Snult,  how  much  time  will  you  re(|uiri-  to  reach  the 
liei^'hts  (d"  I'ratzen?"  "Less  than  twenty  iiiinutos.  Sire," 
Soult  replied.  ".My  troops  are  ready  at  the  bottom  of  the 
valley  and  covered  with  fo<r  and  the  bivouac  smoke  so  that  the 
enemy  cannot  see  them." 

After  a  moment's  ealeulation,  NapoU^on  said,  "In  that  ca.se, 
let  us  wait  a  ijuarter  of  an  hour  more."  The  lon<,'er  he  per- 
mitted the  Allies  to  fjo  on  with  tlie  movements  that  were  weak- 
ening their  centre,  the  more  he  would  jirolit  by  theii-  mistake, 
'i  Ley  wei'e  embarked  in  a  faulty  oiieratiou  and  it  was  nut  fur 
him  to  show  them  their  error  too  soon. 

•Mreadv  he  heard  the  echoes  of  lieavv  musketrv  lirint:  from 


200 


IX  TIIK   FOOTSTK[>S  OF  XAl'OLEOX 


.<■   dnv.t.on   of   hi.   tl„vat..n,.,l    ri^^ht   ui„.    ,,u.v.    Ahrsh.I 

H-    nn..  luHl  ,.o,„..  ^vlH.n  h.  ,uust  l.-t  the  AuL  so.  tlu^ir     t^^^^^^^^ 
il>'  liad  .Irawn  off  the  glove  from  his  u-hlt.    /'".  ^  ""^^««'^- 

"' '     '^'  ",'"'  "'  t''*'  '"»<1  of  the  thawing  earth 

.  <hsganushed  e..„tre  of  the  enemy,  an.l  as  he  passed  So , 
Europe:    '      ■  '•    ''■■•"■  ''"'^''^''-  •^•"^'  -•■  ^'^^^  be-^t  taetieiar.  in 

len^ii  wile' '::;  ;[;!•■  -"""^  ^'^  «""^  ^^^  --«  -j)-  - 

trJ      T  I         '.■""'"■■  '  ^^•'■"'^"""'1  l»^'"-t.  the  denuded  een- 

Il^-ah'gini;;:,  ;';;;;::;i::l;'7;'p^--n-,itt,^ 

<•  1  1         •  '<ini 0,1(1  that  now  erosses  tlui  huti],. 

J-:^;:rM-s^;:;:;;;;:;rt,■;';;;-s..„^ 

TI''-  niip.nal  guard  of  France,  the  nohh"  .n.ard  of  Russia 

th  .1  ,„  ,    ,.  murderous  f„,,v  of  a   hand-to-hand  e(,ndat 

Jreneh   guardsman,   shrieking  as   he   savagely    ran   hi    Ilir 


THE  srx  OF  ACSTKKLnZ 


201 


m 


tlinuiL'li  a  young  Kussian  iriiardsman,  ""  We  will  ^ivi'  tlir  ladies 
lit' St.  I'dfi'shurj?  soiiu'tliiiiL;  ♦o  I'f.v  for."" 

After  horrilih"  sacrifices,  tlie  remnant  of  the  nolde  and  the 
clioviilicr  iruards  tied  before  the  (lallic  fury,  and  Murat  raced 
iji  1(1  the  very  fjate  of  Au^tei-jit/.  As  the  (Ii'auk  Duke  Con- 
>t;iiitine  took  flijrht  from  the  lost  Held,  a  mameluke  ])ursued 
liiiii  so  hotly  that  ilie  (iraiid  L\ike  had  '  »  turn  to  heat  him  oiV. 
Miily  when  a  shot  froiii  Constantine  iiad  felled  the  horse  of 
his  pursuer  could  lie  make  j^'ood  his  escape. 

In  the  front  ranks  of  the  retreatin<r  soldiers,  Iwn  men,  one 
wcarinfi;  a  white  feather,  the  other  a  white  unifoi'm,  spurred 
tlu'ir  horses  over  a  ditch.  Tiiey  were  the  defeated  Hmperors. 
The  Czar,  wlio  a  few  hours  before  was  rosy  with  youth  and 
oontidence,  new  was  pale,  lioUow  cheeked  and  sunken  eyed; 
hut  Francis,  who  had  been  beaten  so  often  by  Xajjoleon,  better 
concealed  his  a<jrony. 

The  fatal  blow  had  been  delivered  and  had  left  an  111,'ly  jzap 
three  rnilis  wide  between  the  riuht  and  the  left  win<j:s  of  the 
Allies.  The  army  of  the  two  Empei'ois  was  hopelessly  cut  in 
two  and  the  rifzht  winj,'  routed. 

Xai)olcon,  seated  on  "]Marengo,"  beside  a  little  wliite  I'hapel 
that  .>itill  looks  out  upon  the  battle  ground  from  a  lir  crowned 
licifrht,  was  viewing  the  havoc  he  had  wrougiit  when,  dripping 
with  blood,  General  Rapp  dashed  up  witli  a  Ru.ssian  prince 
as  his  pi-isoner,  and  his  escort  bearing  aloft  many  captured 
flags.  The  mameluke,  bafflec'  of  his  grand  ducal  prey,  came  at 
the  same  time  to  explain  his  failure  to  catch  Constantine  and 
hriiig  liis  head  !o  the  Kmperor.  A  wounded  chasseur  bearing 
a  Kussian  standaril  also  jjresented  himself  and  proudly  stood 
at  attention  for  a  moment  before  falling  dead  at  Napoleon's 
teet.  Wht  n  the  Empei'or  ordered  Cerard  to  [)aint  the  seene 
for  the  walls  of  Versailles,  he  commanded  the  artist  to  include 
the  chasseur  and  the  mameluke  as  well  as  Rapp  in  his  famous 
picturi'  of  that  moment  of  triumph. 

Meanwhile  Soult  had  whirled  to  the  aid  of  Davout,  who  was 
liolding  back  the  Allies  in  their  struggle  to  get  around  tlu; 
French  rigiit  and  Vandamme  had  come  in  behind  them.  The 
roar  of  the  artillerv  now  shook  the  liills  and  great  wreaths  of 


202 


IX  THK  FOOTSTEI-.^  OF  XAPOLEOX 


^■n:  ..I,ok..d   wtl,   ,1,..  .i.a.l  and   uound-d,   wl.L   hodi.;   l!a.^ 
b.T.)ni,-  ;,  harncadc  a-ainst  tli..  advanrc  of  tlir  alli.s 

RusMans  and  Ansfr.ans  found   Vanda.nn.o  in  thHr  r.ar  with 

he  .,ms  01  P,.at..n  hlaxin.  at  th.n,  on  one  si.le  an.l  ponds  and 

marshes  h,  nunu,-  tl„.,;.  m  on  the  other.     Th.-v  w.re  ean-ht  in 

a  je  and  eould  o.dy  l.url  then>selvos  a.ain.st  its  u-on^L!" 

att..r  es  were  abandoned  in  a  wild  tli^rht.     So.r.e  Russians  did 

thousan.ls  Hed  an  the  o,,pus,te  direetion  a.-ross  the  frozen  pon.i; 

.-'  tried  to  dra.^  their  artillery  after  tl:en..  but  the  ic    aa  e 

^ay  under    h.  weight,  and.  to  save  themselves,  thev  lad  t 

leave  everythinfrh.diind.  '    nau  to 

'•Fire  upon  those  n.asses."  Napoleon  eomuianded  as  he  saw 

pod       the    musthedrown.d.     Fire  upon  the  iee !"     Butt',. 

ba   s  tn,m  the  artdle^-  on  the  side  of  Pn.t.en  rolled  han,!    .1  v 

upon  the  frozen  surtaee  UMtil  son.,  li^ht  howitzers  we.e  ei; 

:     I    f  "^  ;'''":"'.'^    '"    "'""«^    P'Tp..ndieular    fire.     The    iee 

dS:p;:!ar:;i  b;:!::;i;T"'  ^"' ''"'''' ''''  °^  ^"^  ^^~ 

Asthey  w..nt  down,  the  sinkin-  Russians  eeasod  to  be  eno- 
m  es  n>  arms  and  beean.e  frien.ls  in  need.     With  the  quiek 
action  from  sava.er^-  to  lunnanity.  eharaeter^.tie  of  w     f. 

.'  I-reneh  turned  rescuers.  Marhot  winnin.  speeial  p  ^.i 
tmm  Xapoieon  by  swunminn:  o.it  to  a  floe  on  whieh  a  Russian 
offieer  was  floating?.  nussian 

Xi-lit  fell  like  a  drop  curtain  on  the  theatre  of  the  battle 
NM.en  Napoleon  made  his  way  amon,.  the  dead  on  h  s  t!l 
v:s,t  to  the  wounded  in  the  wretched  hospitals,  a  ^emh.  now 
^s  co^•enn.  wUh  its  n,antle  the  uncounted  slain  on  e  fh"  i 
of  AusterPtz.  The  French  ha.l  lost  probablv  10  00  ki 
-Hi  wounded  an.l  the  Allies  2:.,000.  La  Jeu'ne.  an  aid 
camp,  whde  <.-oss,n,  the  tiHd  .ive  .lays  after  the  batt^  ca  e 
upon  fourteen  Kuss.ans.  who.  wounded  and  left  on  the  gro      1 


-a 

}  s 


TIIP]  SrX  OV  AISTKKLITZ 


203 


i 

i 


wliiiT  they  ffU.  had  dragged  themselves  together  to  keep  warm, 
;iinl  two  were  still  alive. 

Tlie  (Irand  Army  bivouacked  in  the  eaiiip  from  whieli  they 
had  driven  the  Allies,  and  Napoleon  congratulated  iiis  troops 
in  a  i>roi-lamation.  "Soldiers,  I  am  satisfied  with  you,"  was 
praise  enough  for  them,  coming  as  it  did  from  theit  Emperor, 
who  pnmiised  to  lead  them  back  to  France  where  "it  will  suf- 
liif  vdu  to  say  'I  was  at  Aiisterlit//  for  the  peopl"  to  answer 
Tlirfi'  Mands  a  brave  man  I'  "  Hut  many  nuirdies  and  battles 
la>  lirt-eeii  them  and  their  homes,  and  tiiousauds  among  that 
jiiliilant  host  were  yet  to  tind  graves  in  alien  earth. 

I'.y  an  imperial  decree,  the  Emperor  adoptetl  all  the  children 
iif  file  men  killed  at  .\i'sterlitz,  and  conferred  ujion  them  the 
I'l'miil  pi'ivileue  of  coujiling  with  their  own  the  name  of  Xa- 
[inlroii.  which,  ten  years  before,  he  himself  had  detested  as 
too  foi'eign-sounding  in  the  ears  of  the  French  !  He  rdso  gave 
a  |ilii|i,'e  to  educate  the  orj)haned  at  his  i-xpense;  after  that 
'  thr  lioys  shall  be  placed  in  situations  and  the  girls  married 
I'v  us." 

Tlir  vanquished  Emperors,  with  the  fragments  of  their  army, 
wcir  wandering  oft"  in  the  direction  of  Hungary,  but  the  Aus- 
tiiaii  monarch  had  left  behind  an  envoy  to  sue  for  peace.  This 
was  th.'  same  Prince  Lichtenstein  wiiom  (ieneral  Melas  had 
aiipoiiited  his  commissioner  to  Napoleon  after  the  Battle  of 
Maivtigo.  Through  the  niu'ht  tiie  Prince  searched  for  the 
virtiir  of  Austerlitz,  whom  he  found  oidy  at  dawn  in  a  mis- 
'  ralilr  roadside  tavern.  There  he  arranged  a  meeting  of  the 
two  Kiiipei'ors  beside  an  old  wiuchnill,  whither  the  .Moravian 
fanners,  in  tiieir  big  boots  and  big  caps,  still  take  grain  to 

he  J.'roUlld. 

l!.\  tliat  windmill  Napoleon  looked  upon  an  hereditary  Em- 
p  Tor  for  the  lirst  time.  "I  receive  you,"  he  said  to  Francis, 
as  he  pointed  to  his  bivouac,  "in  the  only  palace  which  you 
have  permitted  me  to  occupy  the  past  two  months."  And 
Kraiici.s  happily  replied:  "You  have  made  su  h  good  use  of 
i'  tiiat  I  don't  think  you  iiave  any  cause  to  complain." 

In  the  negotiations  which  eventuated  in  the  Treatv  of  i'ress- 


204 


IX  TIIK  FOOTSTHI'S  UF  XAI'OLKO!, 


biirir.  tlio  Emp.Tor  Fraiiois  a^rood  to  the  ccnqueror's  <h. 
iiiiiiids.  Austria  crded  to  liini  Vfni«',  Von.tia,  and  the  Tivn- 
tmo.  thus  oiviimr  „p  1,,,,.  |;,st  foothold  in  Italy.  She  al.M> 
parted  with  l);ilmatia.  th.'  opj)osite  enast  of  the  Adriatie.  a 
cession  wliirji  -ave  Xapoleon  many  eov.-ted  harbours  to  shut 
against  Itritish  eonniicrce. 

The  IVarr  of  I'ressl.urir  Tiot  only  eost  Francis  rich  dominions 
but  It  also  eost  liini  the  resj.c't  of  ids  Alli.vs.  Thev  had  pled^'ej 
themselves  to  stand  or  fail  together  and  not  to  treat  separately 
with  the  foe.  Fi-aneis,  jiowever,  fiiulint,'  liimse!*"  without  an 
armv,  and  cut  off  from  his  capital,  had  brokm  Iks  promise  to 
Russia  and  Fn^^^land. 

Althou^'h  his  first  battle  had  disappointed  his  confident  ex- 
pectation of  reaping  a  harwst  of  martial  glory,  the  young  Czar 
relused  to  follow  the  Austrian  Emperor  into  the  conqueror's 
camp  hy  the  windmill.  Without  even  a  servant  to  attend  him. 
Alexander  ran  away  to  live  to  fight  anotiier  day. 

Austria  having  no  reason  to  enshrine  Austerlitz,  and  the 
place  b.'ing  remote  from  the  main  roads  of  foreb'n  travellers 
the  battle  ground  is  little  visited.  The  castle,  which  belongs 
to  a  -Moravian  family  of  eounts,  is  more  a  beautiful  villa  than  a 
castle,  its  walls  rising  in  a  pretty  park  in  the  v(.rv  centre  of 
t  K  tidy  village.  The  memory  of  Napoleon  eclipses  that  of 
all  other  gu.-sts  of  the  castle,  including  the  two  Emperors 
whom  he  drove  forth  from  its  hospitality  into  a  December 
night.  And  '-Xapoleon's  room."  "Xapoleon's  bed,"  "Na- 
poleon s  chair."  and  "Xapoleon's  table"  are  the  proudest  ex- 
hibits ottered  to  the  cuiious  pilgrim. 

While  the  batt-le  tide  flowed  to  the  very  walls  of  Austerlitz 
on  the  east,  the  western  boundary  of  the  scene  of  combat  is 
tuily  eight  miles  away  on  the  road  to  Brunn.  Not  far  from 
the  true  centre,  rises  the  givn  slopes  of  Pratzen,  crowned  bv 
the  only  monument  that  marks  '.he  field  of  strife,  a  huge  grev- 
stone  memorial  erected  on  the  centenary  of  the  tight 

From  those  I'ratzen  heights  the  -attie  ground  of  the  three 
hmpen.rs  rolls  away  in  every  direction,  crossed  here  and  there 
by  the  brooks  that  one  day  ran  with  the  blood  of  manv  na- 
tions, and  dotted  over  with  the  little  stone  villa. 'es  that"  bore 


THE  SUX  OF  AUSTERLITZ 


205 


tilt-  brunt  of  the  onslauglit.  Tho  pond  where  the  fleein?  Rus- 
sians uerc  drowned,  howevr'r,  is  no  more  to  l)e  seen,  its  l)ed 
liaviiitr  liecn  drained  and  eoiiverted  into  tillapre.  For  until  tiie 
L'iithrrin>r  clouds  of  another  war  burst  upon  the  Austro-Russian 
frontier  in  1J)14.  thrift  was  written  across  tiie  entire  face  of 
that  countryside  which  smiled  in  jx-aee  above  the  j^raves  of  the 
tiiniisands  who  had  fallen  in  battle  wliere  the  waving  grain 
hlos.sonied  in  their  dast. 


CHAPTER  XXV 


Till-;  .MAT(  ^MAKI•;lv• 

TIIE  oonqiK-st  of  Austriii  ''Oinplctod  and  llic  spoils  of  vic- 
tory secured,  Napoleon  proceeded  to  .Municli.  uii.ii' 
Josephine  awaited  him.  Having  vampiished  at  Aiis- 
toHitz  the  ancient  Holy  Konian  Kinj)ir.,  he  felt  entitled  n.nv 
to  .leiiiand  royal  alliances  for  the  new  empire,  and  at  Munich 
In-  heuan  his  imperial  matehmakinu'  with  the  sovereijrn  of 
P.avana._  Arran-in-  tlie  details  of  the  match  with  the  "siioj 
ol  a  nulitary  mana'uvre,  he  marched  the  couple  to  the  altar 
at  double  (|uick. 

Engene  Bea  Uiarnais.  now  a  prince  and  the  viceroy  of  Italv, 
was  to  be  the  iiappy  groom  on  that  occasion,  and  his^happiness 
was  announced  to  him  by  Napoleon  in  the  terms  of  a  battle 
command.     Eugene  obediently  flew  over  tl      Alps  from  his 
vice   regal   post   at    Milan,    while   his  .stepfather   impatientlv 
waited  to  see  the  marriage  celebrated  before  returning-  to  I'aris. 
Tt  chanced  that  the  bride,  the  Princess  Auensta  was  alreadv 
betrothed  to  the  heir  of  the  reiirning  house  of  Haden  ■  but  that 
circumstance  did  not  balk  Napoleon.     He  promised  to  in'c- 
vide   another   bride   for   the    Baden    heir,    and    he   gave    liiui 
Stephanie  Beanharnais,  a  distant  eousin-in-law  of  Josephine. 
While  he  was  arranging  marriages  from  the  highest  throne 
on  earth,  with  the  hands  of  nearly  all  the  princes  and  princesses 
111  Europe  at  his  command,  .Naimleon  increasinudv  re-:rcti -.1 
the  matches  made  by  his  family  in  humbler  davs.     With  a 
little  foresight  and  patient  waiting,  the  Bouapartes  miirht  all 
have   made   royal   inarriag.'s  thai   would   have   bound   him  to 
every  reign  in  jj  hous.'  in  Europe.     The  latest  to  wed  was  his 
youngest   brother,  Jerome,  and  on  his  unauthorised  alliance, 
the  imperial  displeasure  fell  in  full  force. 

Jerome  had   been   placed   in  the  navv.   and   after  tedious 

206 


THE  MATCIIMAKKR 


207 


'  rui-int,'  ill  tln'  tropic  waters  of  tlio  West  Tndifs  and  risinrr  to 
,1  ii'iitcniiiiry,  the  yoiiiii:  iii;m  laiuii'd  at  Nortulk.  Va.,  in  tln' 
^iniiiiirr  of  1S();{.  At  lialtiiriore,  he  iiict  tiu>  ciLriitceii-yt'ar-old 
(!;!iii_'lit<'r  of  William  I'atcrson,  an  Irish  iminiirraiit  who  had 
.nil  liis  way  from  poverty  to  the  rank  of  tiie  riciiest  merchants 
i!i  Ainerica.  While  it  was  said  of  Elizabeth,  or  Betsy,  now 
ilul  we  have  been  jtroperly  introduced  to  her,  that  "she 
r'l.iriiis  by  her  eyes  and  slays  by  hor  tonfjuo,"  her  deadlier 
ui:i|i(tn  spared  Jerome  at  that  first  meetino;  and  left  him 
wholly  charmed.  In  one  swift  month  more  the  wooer  an- 
nounced his  enga<j;enient,  antl  in  a  few  davs  took  out  a  marriaL'e 

Hn.Iise. 

The  French  consul  general  warned  the  Patersons  that  by 
file  law  of  France  the  marriaijt'  of  a  man  under  twenty-tive  was 
ii.it  IcL'al  unless  with  the  consent  of  a  parent  or  a  gruardian. 
Nevertheless,  Jerome  and  Het<y  were  married  by  Jolm  Carroll, 
Ikiiiiiiiii  Catholic  Bishop  of  lialtimore  on  Christmas  eve. 

.Mihuuirh  President  Jeffer.son  received  the  bride  and  proom 
iif  the  White  House,  he  e.xjtrcssed  the  fear,  in  a  despatch  to  his 
liiiiiistei-  at  Paris,  that  Xajjoleon  mi^'ht  take  it  into  his  head 
te  call  the  President  of  the  United  States  to  account  for  per- 
ii'iittinfr  the  weddinf:^  to  take  place.  Jefferson  thougthtfully 
imparcd  Livingston,  in  the  event  of  a  Napoleonic  outburst,  to 
.:i\e  assurance  that  not  only  was  the  Presi(ient  powerless  under 
American  law,  but  also  that  Jerome's  father-in-law  was  "the 
wealthiest  man  in  ^Maryland,  perhaps  in  the  United  States, 
"•xcept  Mr.  Carroll"— Charles  Carroll  of  CarrolUon. 

As  fast  as  sails  could  take  him,  Betsy's  brother  IJobert  sped 
I'l  Paris  with  a  letter  from  James  Madison,  secretary  of  state, 
lommendiniT  him  to  the  good  ot!ices  of  Robert  R.  Livingston, 
the  Ameiican  minister  in  F'rance.  For  the  bride  had  two  in- 
tlueiitial  uncles  at  Wasliington.  Robert  Smith,  secretary  of  the 
'■iivy,  and  Sanniel  Smith,  who  had  just  been  elected  to  the 
^'  i!;ite  and  was  now  sitting  in  the  special  session  called  to  ratify 
llic  purchase  of  Louisiana  from  Napoleon. 

Robert  Paterson  could  find  no  one  in  Paris  who  dared  inter- 
cede for  him.     Minister  Livingston  was  too  good  a  diplomat 

•^  ::;r:;   ;:;;o  a  iiiliiiiy    r  OV,'.  .jiiu   Adjnnt-Oii  Srtiti   liuiL   ?^UL'il  a   tuar- 


208 


IX  TIIK  FOOTSTEPS  OF  XArOLF:OX 


n;i.,'f  iis  Jrroino's  \v;is  •'no  iiinro  mil  fliiin  if  it  had  hrcn  h,^- 
tuvcu  two  lovrrs  wiio  iriarry  in  a  tranlni  on  tlic  altar  of  love 
111  the  prcsfiiiT  of  tile  moon  and  stars."  In  strict  arconiaii.v 
with  his  favourite  stratcu'v,  he  mt  off  .Irroinr's  supplit-s,  hav- 
ing? him  d.'prndrnt  (,n  his  wife's  family,  whilr  lie'  com. 
inandcd  that  the  hridr^M'ooni  shouUl  have"  "in  America  thf 
youn;,'  jHTson  in  question,"  and  "come  hither  to  associate  hiiu- 
self  to  m_\-  for'tunes." 

The  ohe.ii.nt  senat.'  of  France  decreed  that  no  civil  otTiccr 
should  record  "the  pretended  marria-e"  „f  .Jerome,  while 
the  urw  Kmjx'ror  forbade  any  French  ve.s.sei  to  hrins  I'is  Auicr- 
ican  sist.r-in-law  across  the  wat.'r,  and  forbad.-  anv  French 
port  to  p.rmit  her  to  enter  the  Fmpire.  "She  sha'll  not  set 
foot  on  the  soil  of  Franc,,"  he  declared. 

Jerome  and  Hetsy  thus  were  pres,.nted  with  a  problem  in 
blo<'kad..  I'unnin-.'.  How  was  he  to  steal  through  his  brother's 
ti-htly  drawn  lines  and  take  Betsy  into  France?  Many  were 
their  adventures  even  before  they  had  succeeded  in  clearing 
the  American  coast.  Finally  her  father  fitted  out  for  the 
collide  one  of  his  own  ship.s,  the  Erin,  and  they  sailed  under 
the  Amei'ican  flair. 

Witli  the  French  ports  all  closed  to  it,  the  Krin  put  in  at 
Lisbon,  where  the  French  consul  came  al)oard  and  inquired  of 
the  bride,  "What  can  I  do  for  .Miss  I'ater.son  .'"  The  "miss" 
spirit.'dly  rcMlicd:  "Tell  your  master  that  Mme.  Bonaparte 
IS  ambitious,  and  demands  her  ri^'hts  as  a  member  of  the  iiii- 
I»erial  family!" 

J(>rome  was  contid<.nt  that  he  needed  onlv  to  arrange  to  have 
Xapoleon  exi)o.se  himself  to  Bet.sy's  beautv  and  wit  to  insure 
her  conquest  of  the  Emperor.  Filled  no  doubt  with  hi"h 
hopes  of  bringing  the  two  together,  he  left  liis  wife  in  Lisbon 
harbour  to  go  to  his  brother. 

The  groom,  however,  found  admission  to  the  imperial  pres- 
ence barred  until  he  surrendered  without  conditions.  His 
approaching  oblitrations  as  a  father  constituted  no  valid  argu- 
ment with  the  Emperor.  Ai-pareiitlv  thev  w.-re  borne  li'ditlv 
enough  by  Jerome  himself,  who.  after  eleven  davs,  submhted 

:::::;ov';;    ;«w:sL;i W i riV  TO   i'li-S   iViOiin'i'. 


cav- 


K'f'l 


Mr, 


4^i: 


TFIH  MATCIIMAKKR 


209 


I 


•So.  sir,'"  til.'  HiiifuTor  sjiid  to  tlir  youth  of  the  wliite 
t'.itli.r.  ••you  sliain. ■fully  jiliaiKloiird  your  post!  It  will  r.'- 
Miiiiv  iiiauy  spli'iidid  actions  to  wipr  out  tliat  stain.  As  to 
.\niir  l(,vc  affair  uitli  y.nir  little  ^rirl.  i  do  not  regard  it."  As 
N.ipolron  liow.-d  til.'  jxTut.iii  out.  he  rcniark.'d  t..  his  suite: 
■  II''  n.vds  a  little  more  \veit,'lit  in  lu.s  liead,  liut  I  hope  to 
iiiakr  soiiiethini,'  of  him." 

In  thr.r  months  mor.'  Jerome's  dishonour  was  eomplete  when 
ii.  ston.l  before  the  worhl  a  faithless  father  as  w.'ll  as  a  faith- 
i--  lai:il.and,  his  desert.nl  wife  ^'ivin^'  l.irth  to  a  son  in  a 
Lnndon  suburb  and  dutifully  ehrist.-ninu'  him  .I.^rom.'  \ai)ole.)n 
P.oiiapart.'.  Tiie  baby  hands  did  not  |)rov.'  strong'  enough  to 
'Iravv  .Jerome  away  from  his  vanity,  and  iJetsy,  ^'ivin^  up 
li'l"'-  sail.'.l  home.  And  sh.'  aec.pted  sueh  so"lace  for  h.T 
unimd.-d  pride  as  a  p.'iision  of  .tl2,()U0  a  y.'ar  from  Napoleon 
airunied. 

•!' Tonir,  after  i.llinf?  about  the  sea  for  awhile,  was  rewarded 
tirst  with  the  rank  of  rear  admiral  and  then  with  the  title  of 
l"iii..'.  not  to  mention  the  payment  of  his  always  rapidly 
.1'  •nuuilatin?  debts.  "It  is  ineoneeivaiilc,"  Napoleon  growled, 
'  li"w  mueh  this  young  man  costs  me."  But  ho  wrote  to 
•'"^•ph:  "I  have  recognised  him  as  a  prince  and  I  have 
L'lVMi  lum  the  grand  cordon  of  the  Legion  of  Honour.  I  have 
"n'iii!,'.'d  his  marriage  with  Princess  Catherine,  daughter  of 
Hi.'  King  of  Wiirtemberg.  " 

Although  a  heavy  liability  in  a  financial  wa\.  the  youth  was 
"11  asset  to  the  imperial  matrimonial  bureau,  and  "Napoleon 
made  haste  to  ask  Pope  Pius  VII  to  annul  the  Baltimore  mar- 
f-i  !-''■  ni  a  religious  sense  as  it  already  was  annulled  by  civil 
i'''"iure.  He  assured  the  Pope  that  his  brother  had  been 
"'"■ii-'l  hy  a  Spanish  priest  to  '"a  Protestant  young 
Wi'iiiaii."  • 

111"  Holy  See  knew  the  true  facts  and  braved  the  imperial 
'ii>!'!'asure  by  declining  to  invalidate  a  marriage  with  a  Chris- 
'liiri  ot  any  faith  tiiat  had  been  performed  by  a  bishop  of  the 
'  l'i"'<-li.  But  the  royal  house  of  Wurtemberg,  beiiit:  Protes- 
tant, was   not  trrmVilorl   V„r  -flw,   v.„P.,.,„l    _r   r> \.  .         „    .  • 

...   ..^.    .;;■    itriti-a;   ui   i\;;:;;<j   lO  SciiiCTlun   tiie 

"atrti.  and  in  a  little  more  than  two  years  after  his  parting 


'JID 


IN  TIIK  FUOTS'lHI'S  oK  NAl'oLKON 


Hctsv,    .IiToriic    licciuiii'    tile    liiishariil    of    tlic    Priinis- 


from 
CatluTiiH'. 

SoMir  tunc  after  tli<'  costly  youth  liad  l)i'i'n  fli'vatfd  to  \\u' 
throiif  ol  Wfstplialiii  iiiiii  Xapolroii  had  mihindrd  liiiii  upon 
the  poor  taxi)ay(rs  of  liis  ui'W  rcahii,  .Icronic  u'rrw  uriii  '-oiis 
toward  I'.ctsy  with  the  money  of  Ids  sid»jfcts.      lie  ollVrf(l  h.  r 

f  the  $12,1)11(1  she  was  riTciviiiir  fri.m 


>lai'e    o 


*.p),(in(t  a  year  in  [ 

Napoleon   if  she  would  hriM<,'  t 

lia. 


heir'  lio\'  and 


li\e  ill   Westpha- 


Mut  Metsv  was  not  a  woman  to  lie  twice  foolei 


th 


c  same 


person  a 


il  she  V  plii'd  to  dirome 


that  "  the  kiiiL'doni  of  West- 


phalia is  not  lar>.'e  eiioimh  f  r  two  (|ueens'"  and  furthermore 
that  she  preferred   her   present    position   of  ■"heinK  shelten 
undi'r  ;:.('  w 
)f 


ill).'  of  an  eatiie  to  lieiii^  suspended  from  the 
rie  h .ard  of  that   witty  retort. 


W! 


ot  a  ^oose.         When  the  ea^ne  h  ard  ot   mat 
enjoyed  it  so  much  that  lie  instructed  the  Wrench  minister  at 
Washiiiu'ton  to  ask  Betsy  what  he  could  do  for  her.     She  an 
swered    "Make  iiie  a  dueliess;"  but  it  eontiiiued  to  lie  lier  lot 
to  dwell  on  a  level  of  ('(juality  '"with  jieoiile  who  after  I  luni 
married  a  prince  became  m>  inferiors." 

When  the  kintxdoiii  of  Westphalia  was  no  more  and  Jerome's 
fllory  had  departed,  be  and  Hetsy  met  for  the  first  and  only 
time  after  tbcir  parting'  m  the  harbour  of  Lisbon.  IIo  was 
now  a  baiikni[)t.  and  she  luid  divorced  bim  to  protect  her 
property.  They  passed  witbout  a  word  of  ^reetiiifj:  as  each  was 
strolling  in  the  picture  ^'allcry  of  the  Pitti  I'alace  at  Floremi', 
Jerome  merely  .ierkin<r  bis  thumb  toward  Hetsy  and  remarkiii-' 
to  ("atborine,  "That  is  my  American  wife.'" 

Hotb  Jerome  and  ("atlierinc  often  saw  youn?  Jerome  Na 
poleon,  but  bis  father  i-.'iiored  bim  in  bis  will.  Emperor 
Napoleon  III  offered  to  make  bim  a  dtike.  but  with  the  vanity 
of  ids  race,  this  American  Bonaparte  refused  to  r;'lin(iuish  his 
pretensions  to  a  bij.'ber  difrnity.  that  of  a  prir.ee  of  the  Hmpin' 
and  a  b'iritimate  beir  to  tbe  tlirone. 

Altbouprh   bis   mother   never   foreswore   lier   native    I'rest'.v 
terianisiii.  she  reared  Jerome  a  Catliolie,  because  that   was  I" 
ber  "tbe  relii^ion  of  jirinces  and  kiiij^s. ''     Sbe  entered  bim  at 
.Harvard,   where    iie   graduaU'ii,   aiui   gieuti^    lu   iiis   iuOiiicr  ■ 


TlIK  MATCII.MAKKR 


211 


.'111  i',  lie  SO  far  forgot  liis  princely  rank  as  to  m.\\n^  an  Atncri- 
.111  marriage. 

Two  sons  wtTc  horn  to  this  second  .Ifromc.  'I'li"  yuiiiiu'iT, 
'  h;irlfs  .loscjili  llonjipartr.  lircairic  attorney  K'eniTal  ui  I'lcsi- 
.:.i!l  luMiM'Velt  "s  caliinit,  uliile  the  fhler  was  the  late  Col. 
.leronic  Napoleon  iionaparte,  a  yi'aduate  of  \V.-,t  I'oint,  ulio 
inarrii'ii  Caroline  Le  I{oy,  danj^hter  of  Sanniel  ,\pplcton  of 
I'.estoii,  atiil  i.'randdaut,'liter  ui  Daiuel  WiI'Mit.  'i  heir  .son, 
■  i  I'liiir  N'apolfon  Monaparte  of  Washinfcrli  u,  is  the  j,'reat- 
'i.iihIsoii  of  Kiii^'  .Icroiae  and  jrreat-jrraridni'pliew  of  .\a|>oleon. 
ii  III-"  LTi-at-^'iaiidiiMtlier's  iiiai'riat,'c  had  hrcn  rerou'iiised,  this 

MiiLT  iiian  in  W.iNhintrton  would  lie  the  head  of  thr  house  of 
l'»'ii;iiiarte  and  lir>t  in  liiif  for  the  vanished  throne  of  .\a- 
j"  lion,  instead  of  Kiiii,'  deronie's  other  greattxrandson.  Vietor 
of  Brussels. 

I^•^y  ever  I'eiiiained  faithful  to  the  Hmpirethat  banned  her. 
Lii.L'  al'tif  it  had  fallen,  she  continued  to  waiuh  r  al)out  Hu- 
rope  whrri'  she  couhl  humour  her  conceit  by  t'lingling  with 
titled  iieople.  To  her  harddieaded  father's  protest  against  her 
forsaking  her  j.la  •!■  as  the  head  of  his  household,  she  replied: 
"It  was  inipossililc  to  heiid  my  tastes  and  amhifions  to  the 
obsc'iu'i' destiny  of  a  I'altimore  housekeeper,  and  it  was  absurd 
toattniipl  it  after  I  had  married  th"  brother  of  an  Emperor." 
When  at  lentrth  she  did  return  to  America  it  was  to  take  up 
the  inanaL'emeiit  of  her  estate  in  her  native  eity. 

AU.-r  the  Second  Hmpire  had  risen  from  the  ruiiis  o^  the 
I'ltM  at  \Vaterloo  and  fallen  at  S»>dan,  and  she  was  four  score 
and  tell.  Mine.  Hona[)arte  still  did  her  own  bargaining  and  col- 
lectiii'j  as  she  went  through  the  streets  of  Baltimore,  an  old 
carpet  hag  in  her  hand.  Although  rei)uted  to  be  more  than  a 
millionaire,  she  passed  the  last  eighteen  years  of  her  life  in 
a  hoarding  house,  where  in  her  many  trunks  she  cherished  her 
fondest  triasures — the  purple  satin  coat  Jerome  wore  at  their 

••'lilitig.  a  gown  given  to  her  by  the  f'rince'^s  Pauline,  an- 
'•'"•  frnni  Mine.  Mere  and  all  the  other  faded  finery  of  the 
'la-.--  of  her  imperial  dreams. 

1-  !iot   the  gravestone  of  Betsy  Paterson.   in  Greenmour: 

'  '  Ult'terV.     near    the     T'ninn     r:iil\i-!iv    ctMtirm     .^f    UuU ;..inT.<,      u 


21:2 


IN  TIIH   FOOTSTEPS  OF  XAI'OLKON 


marker  in  tlir  path  of  N'apoltM.n  to  liis  dcnv'ifall  .'  Pcrliaps  it 
was  ill  diss()lviii<i  Ikt  iiiaiTiam'  that  the  Emiicror  took  the  tirst 
I'atcful  step  toward  his  own  divorce.  At  least  it  lost  him  a 
sister,  whose  loyalty  to  his  tlirone  would  have  been  an  oxami)le 
In  his  own  sisters,  whose  thrift  and  aiidiition  would  have  been 
useful  lo  the  i)rodlg;al  ami  silly  -lerome,  and  whose  beauty  of 
person  and  purity  of  life  would  have  done  credit  to  the  court 
of  the  Empire. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 


I 


TIIK  KIXUMAKEH 

WIIEX,  on  flio  first  anniversary  of  his  coronation,  Xa- 
IKilcon  ffaincil  the  threat  li.-ittli'  with  liis  two  rivai 
Kiiiperors  at  Austcilitz,  lie  stood  forth  tlit'  chief 
!,i'ji-tratf  of  Christendom.  He  lost  no  time  in  assuming?  the 
i;ii|tiiiiil  i)rerouative  to  crown  his  vassal  princes. 

TlitMe  were  then  only  eiirlit  kintrs  in  Enrope,  the  Kinirs  of 
Kiii:land,  I'russia,  Si)ain,  Portnjral,  Denmark,  Sweden,  Sar- 
(!i!iia.  and  Xaples.  Xapoleon  opened  witle  the  flood  gates  of 
inyal  hononrs  and  there  was  a  downpour  of  ten  kiii<rly  crowtis 
in  half  a  dozen  years,  or  >re  than  time  had  conferred  upon 
piiucrly  hi'ows  in  as  many  eeiituries.     He  had  already  made 

ii^elf  Kin;;  of  Italy,  and  now  on  his  way  from  the  field  of 
.\i:sterlit/,  in  DeeeUiber,  lh05,  he  sent  a  messenger,  who  over- 
timk  the  Elector  of  Bavaria  while  he  was  hunting,  witli  a  ines- 
--;i::v  addressed  to  "His  Majesty,  the  King  of  Bavaria." 
Will  re  fore  the  Bavarian  sovereigns  are  kings  to  this  day.  The 
K.ML'-s  of  Wiirtemberg  and  Saxony  also  aie  indebted  to  Xa- 
|ioleon  for  their  present  titles. 

The  new  Emperor's  success  as  a  kingmaker  flattered  liira 
Mito  ihe  conceit  that  in  the  plenitude  of  his  imperial  power  he 
could  do  more  than  make  over  hereditary  dukes  and  electors, 
ami  could  manufacture  kings  out  of  the  raw  nuiterial  of  the 
eninmon  earth.  After  he  had  fairly  warned  tlit»  domineering 
wife  of  the  Bourbon  King  r-f  Xaples  tliat  if  she  did  not  cease 
I'layiuu-  fast  and  loose  wit  France,  her  children  would  cui*se 
lur  i.s  they  wandered  o\ .  .■  Europe  begging  their  bread,  ho 
ih'ove  the  royal  family  from  tlieir  caf)ital  to  take  refuge  on  the 
NIaiid  of  Sicily.  Thereupon,  in  1S06.  Josepli  Bonaparte  was 
thrust  upon  the  vacant  throne. 

■'I     ui  no  longer  have  relatives  in  obscuritv,"  the  Emperor 

213 


214 


IN  THE  FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLEOX 


said.  ''Those  who  will  not  rise  with  mo,  shall  no  lon<?or  li.-  ,if 
Miy  family.  I  am  makiufr  a  family  of  kings  attaclied  to  my 
ffderativt'  system." 

The  Revolution  had  r.xpcllfd  tin-  House  of  Orang,'  from  Hol- 
land and  Set  up  tlu'  Hatavian  Hcpuhlie  in  the  .Vtherlamis. 
When  Napoleon  prei)ared  to  n'lnove  this  republican  reminder 
from  the  French  border,  he  jtlaeed  the  crown  of  Holland  on 
the  head  of  Louis  Bonaparte.  At  one  time  he  thouL'ht  ui 
snatching  the  crown  of  Portugal  from  the  brow  of  the  Hraganza 
king  antl  conferring  it  ori  laicien  Bonaparte.  Lueien,  how- 
ever, rejected  tie  stipulation  that  he  should  divorce  his  witV. 
and  in  loyalty  to  her,  he  turned  his  back  on  crowns  and  throne. 

Jerome  was  the  only  obedient  nn'mber  of  the  family,  but 
when  he  was  enthroned  as  King  of  Westphalia  in  1807,  his 
regal  magniticence  and  royal  vices  troubled  his  brother  nuich, 
and  he  was  as  hopelessly  incompetent  as  any  hereditary  prince 
well  could  be.  His  poor  subjects  had  to  plough  deep  to  sup- 
port his  pomp  and  lu.xury,  and  he  drained  the  resources  of  his 
made-to-order  kingdom  to  till  his  little  capital,  Cassel,  with 
extravagant  splendour.  His  royal  theatre  alone  cost  his  peoiile 
•t8(»,(K)()  a  year,  and  he  adorned  his  country  palace,  Xapoleoii- 
shoe,  until  it  took  high  rank  among  the  show  phices  of  Europe. 
By  a  strange  retribution  Napoleonshoe  became  the  prison  of 
Napoleon  HI,  after  his  capture  by  the  Germans  at  Sedan,  in 
1870,  and  it  was  there  that  the  last  of  the  Bonapartes  took 
leave  of  royal  palaces  forever. 

By  a  trick  of  nature  Napoleon  found  his  only  real  brothers 
am  )ng  his  sisters.  Although,  even  as  the  etTerainale  emj)erors 
of  degenerate  Rome  a.ssumed  the  name  of  Ca>sar,  the  crowned 
brothers  all  styled  themselves  Napoleons — Joseph  Napoleon, 
Louis  Napoleon,  Jerome  Napoleon— Caroline  and  Elisa  were 
better  counterfeits  of  the  Emperor  than  any  of  the  male  Bona- 
partes. Those  two  sisters  were  ambitious  and  masterful  spirits, 
while  in  point  of  personal  appearance  they  held  their  own  in  a 
remarkably  handsome  family.  The  elder,  Caroline,  wife  of 
Murat.  had  fair  hair  and  a  dazzling  comj)iexion,  with  roses  in 
her  cheeks.  "She  bore  the  head  of  Cromwell,  on  the  shoulders 
of  a  pretty  woman,"  Talleyrand  said  of  her. 


IIIV 


uis. 
on 


iiza 
o\v- 


l)Ut 

Ins 
:rli, 
lice 
iip- 


ple 

011- 


ot 

in 

)ok 


ers 

ors 

10(1 

on. 

ere 
aa- 
its, 
1  a 


in 
■rs 


^ 


THE  KINGMAKER 


215 


^ 
&: 


As  tlu'  one  sister  who  had  a  husband  that  was  useful  to  the 
1  jiqiiri',  slio  made  hard  terms  with  lier  brothei'  ou  every  occa- 
--ii)ii.  To  appease  tlie  demands  of  the  Murats,  the  Emperor 
was  forced  to  a  painful  bit  of  surgery  when  he  earved  out  a 
[iiiiicipality  for  them  in  Germany  and  created  them  the  Prince 
iiiid  Princess  of  Berg  and  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of  Cleves. 
I !' sides.  .Murat  was  made  heir  to  the  throne  of  Naples, 
.Id-rph's  childr"n  being  girls. 

illisa,  the  otlier  Napoleon  in  petticoats,  was  the  black  haired 
si^trr  and  less  beautiful,  although  not  at  all  uncomely.  Elisa 
!i;mI  a  Corsican  husband,  Felix  Bacciocchi,  who  was  a  liin- 
(IriMi  ('  rather  than  an  aid  to  her  passion  for  place  and  power. 
Hut  t)cing  a  cji'ver  pupil  of  Machiavelli,  she  overcame  the 
liaiidioip  of  a  stupid  and  useless  mate  and  merited  the  fame  of 
a  S,  niiramis.  This  princess  drew  for  Felix  and  herself  the 
tiii\  [jHucipality  of  Piombino — now  the  Italian  nuiinland  port 
*  If  ihc  island  of  Eltia — with  only  20,000  subjects,  but  soon  she 
villi  tlic  duchy  of  Lucca,  and  ultimately  became  the  Grand 
Oiulicss  of  Tuscany,  witli  the  noI)le  city  of  P^lorence  for  her 
caiiiral. 

The  sccniul  sister  in  rank  of  birth,  but  the  third  in  im- 
I'ortiUicc,  wa-s  Pauline,  who  was  a  Jerome  in  frivolity  of  char- 
a.  Trr,  liut  a  Venus  in  the  charms  of  lier  person.  She  received 
;i!i  Italian  principality,  with  six  square  miles  of  territory 
ami  :',000  inhabitants,  mostly  beggars.  But  that  sufficed  to 
make  licr  the  Duchess  of  Gu;istalla. 

Happily  there  was  one  Bonaparte  whom  f.ime  could  not 
flatter,  and  whose  head  was  not  turned  by  fortune.  The  only 
I'  proacli  that  history  can  bring  to  the  memory  of  the  "Mother 
if  Kings"  is  that  she  failed  to  transmit  her  virtues  to  iier 
iliildnn.  If  Napoleon's  imagination  had  been  ballasted  with 
Oil'  roek  (,f  lur  common  sense,  he  might  not  have  soared  so 
liii.'li  but  then  he  would  not  have  fallen  so  far;  if  his  irenius 
had  been  touched  with  her  prudence,  he  might  have  ruled  him- 
M'if  and  thereby  become  the  ruler  of  the  world,  (iiven  her 
solidity  and  strength  of  character,  her  other  sons,  their  viuiity 
in  eheck.  might  have  become  men.  Had  her  daughters  in- 
!  '  filed  with  her  beauty  her  womanly  purity,  nnd  like  lur  kept 


I 


210 


I\  TIIK   FDOT^^TEPS  OF  NAPOLEON 


thoinst>lv(>s  unspotted  from  llic  world,  tlicy  lui^'ht  have  been 
ladies.  As  it  eliaiieed.  alas,  her  ehihireii  were  not  t!iis  Cor- 
nelia's jewels,  hut  her  sorrows. 

A  typical  Italian  mother,  thau  whom  there  is  no  better  pat- 
tern, Letizia  saw  seven  of  her  eijrht  children  asemd  thrones 
only  to  mourn  the  loss  of  her  family.  "All  men  considered 
Tiie, "  she  confided  to  a  friend,  "the  happiest  mother  in  the 
world  while  my  life  was  one  unintern.ii)ted  sorrow  and  martyr- 
dom." 

The  higher  her  children  climbed  the  more  she  felt  a  mother's 
anxiety  for  the  jx-rils  that  eneompa.ssed  them.  With  eight 
diadems  in  her  f.unily,  motherhood  remained  her  only  crown. 
For  in  supreme  ^'ood  taste,  the  kinirmaker  left  her  in  posses- 
sion of  the  simple  title  of  mother.  He  oidy  decreed  that  she 
should  be  addressed  as  "Her  Imjierial  Highness.  Mmo.  the 
Mother  of  the  Emperor,"  and  the  world  spoke  of  her  as  "Mine. 
.Mere." 

The  mother  could  not  forget  the  hard,  pincliinfr  days  that 
befell  her  brood  in  Ajaccio  and  Marseilles,  although  everv  one 
of  them  except  Lucien  now  had  some  sort  of  throne.  "All  this 
pomp  may  come  to  an  end,"  she  persisted  in  reasoning,  "and 
then  what  will  become  of  my  children?"  Let  the  sun  of 
Austerlitz  beam  prid  the  star  of  destiny  shine  ever  so  bril- 
liantly in  the  fair  sky,  her  prudent  maternal  nature  took  ac- 
count of  the  possible  coming  of  a  rainy  day. 

Napoleon  looked  to  his  brothers  to  give  him  an  heir  to  the 
throne  of  France.  In  'he  lotter\'  of  birth,  however,  Joseph's 
two  children  were  girls,  as  also  were  the  two  children  of  Lucien 
by  his  only  recognised  wife,  Christine  Boyer.  Lucien  had  a 
son  by  the  disinherited  second  wife  and  Jerome  another  by 
the  disowned  Betsy  Paterson ;  but  those  children  were  barred 
from  the  imperial  line. 

When  the  Empire  came,  only  Louis  and  Hortense  had  sons 
in  the  recognised  line.  Josephine  thus  was  consoled  by  the 
prospect  of  a  grand  iiild  of  hers  being  adopted  as  the  heir  to 
the  imiierial  crown,  while  her  own  son  Eug;'ne  had  already 
been  adopted  by  the  Emperor  and  nominated  to  succeed  him 
on  the  throne  of  Italy.     Napoleon  Charles,  the  elder  of  Louis' 


THE  KIXOMAKKU 


217 


hoys,  was  looked  ui)Oii  as  the  dfstiind  successor  of  Xapoleoii. 
Thi'  chihl  was  a  great  joy  to  "I'liclu  Bibiche,"  as  he  (hired 
lo  iiickiiaiiie  tlic  Kiii[)eror,  wlio  delighted  to  roll  on  the  palace 
floor  and  romp  witii  the  boy  or  hoUl  hiiu  on  the  iiaek  of  a 
^'ii/elle  iji  the  imperial  park  lu  his  pride  ami  trection,  Na- 
poleou  Charles  used  to  sliont  at  the  review  of  the  (iiiard  .a 
the  courtyard,  "Long  live  I'ucle  Bihiche,  th     Mildier!" 

Wldle  tlu'  Kmperor  was  going  liis  conquering  way  across 
ilie  noi'thernmost  plains  of  Prussia  in  the  springtime  of  1.SU7, 
a  iiie>>enger  brought  him  the  news  of  the  littlt'  Prince's  deatii 
lit  The  Hague  in  his  fifth  year.  By  the  ileath  of  the  boy,  the 
iliililK'ss  monarch  was  brought  face  to  face  with  a  moinenlous 
(liiestion,  which  disturbed  the  ver>  foundation  of  his  Empire 
and  threatened  the  stability  of  the  institutions  he  had  reared. 
It  was  the  old  troubling  aiul  unanswered  (luestion  which  had 
>tung  him  to  exclaim.  "After  me  tlu>  deluge!  My  brothers 
or  >oine  successors  will  tight  over  my  tomb  like  the  followers  of 
Alexander." 


u 


ciiai'ti:k  xxvn 


CKL'SIllXC   I'Kl  SSIA 


IHUG      AUK    :i7 

AT  tho  oppiiinpr  of  tlic  iiiriti'cntli  r-ontrvv,  r.tTinany  still 
remained  a  prey  to  tlic  trihal  system  of  thi'  Middle 
Al:vs.  Tlicre  ufre  nearly  if  not  (luitc  as  many  na- 
tions ill  the  few  liiuulffd  miles  l)etween  the  Kliine  and  tlie 
iXiemeii  as  there  are  independent  sovereigrnties  on  the  entirr 
faee  of  tlie  earth  to-day.  A  traveller  may  eireumnavi;:ate  tlir 
triolie  now  without  crossing'  more  frontiers  or  passiiij;  tlirouu'ii 
more  <'iistomhous.'s  than  barred  trade  and  eo)iimnnieatioii  be- 
tween the  (ierman  people  only  a  little  more  than  UK)  yrars 
a^t).  Politieal  i)rogress  was  dead  among  them  and  patriotism 
uiil)orn. 

Prussia  was  the  natural  leader  of  Ttennany,  being  by  far  the 
lar-rest  strictly  (ierman  state.  But  she  was" yet  only  Vrussiaii 
and  eared  little  for  (iermany  as  a  whole.  The  reigning  family 
of  Ilohenzollerns  played  polities  as  a  sordid  game  of  grabliiiis,' 
and  cheating,  looking  only  to  increasing  the  nmnber  of  their 
subjects  and  swelling  their  revenues.  They  were  still  drippiier 
with  the  bloody  spoils  of  the  paititiou  of  Poland  when  tlicy 
turned  from  Russia  and  Au.stria,  their  partners  in  that  horrible 
crime,  to  tratifie  with  Napoleon. 

They  were  well  satisfied  to  share  his  spoils  until  in  his  war 
with  En-rland  he  snatched  Hanover  from  the  British  erowu 
and  took  i)ossession  of  Bremen  and  Cuxliaven.  That  step 
brought  him  to  the  frontiei-s  of  Prussia  and  gave  him  com- 
mand of  her  two  gateways  to  the  Atlantic. 

Divided  counsels  now  arose  among  the  Prussians.  The  weak 
and  irresolute  Kin<r  Fivderick  Willian  Til  found  himself 
pulled  and  hauled  between  French  and  anti-French,  faction.s. 

218 


CHrsiIINd   I'RCSSIA 


21!) 


the  latti'f  liaving  an  anient  and  influential  fluimpion  in  Queen 
Liiiiise,  wliose  sweetness  and  heauty  liavr  In^eu  iiinaortalised 
ly  artists. 

Whrii  the  young  and  enthusijistic  Czar  hastened  to  Berlin 
to  nviii'  the  King  to  join  in  the  coalition  against  Frain-e 
ill  I^i»").  he  found  an  eiitliusiastie  ally  in  the  (^uceii.  The 
C/ai',  the  King  and  (^nmi  in  a  luelodrainatie  seeiie  hy  lantern 
light,  \')we(i  oviT  the  touih  of  Freih'riek  the  (ireat  never  to 
i.-t  until  Napoleon  was  driven  hack  heyoud  the  Rhine. 

In  li'ss  than  a  month  the  Battle  of  Austerlitz  was  fought,  the 
<'/ar  put  to  flight  and  the  Emperor  of  Austria  hrouglit  to  his 
kiiivs.  It  was  now  Napoleon's  turn  to  dictate  terms.  In- 
stead of  wliirling  his  triumithant  army  toward  Prussia,  how- 
ever, he  chose  to  humour  her,  and  at  the  same  time  embroil  her 
uitii  Hngland  i)y  making  her  a  gift  of  Hanover,  which  he  had 
only  just  taken  from  her  ally,  the  English  iving.  He  was 
'inirkly  rewardi'd  for  his  tJreek  gift  when  he  saw  Prussia, 
instead  of  making  war  c  hiiri,  at  war  with  England,  whose 
11,1  \y  swooped  down  upon  her  merchant  flag  and  swept  it  from 
the  seas. 

The  anti-French  faction  in  Prussia  grew  more  bitter  than 
ever  at  the  sight  of  Frederick  William  entangled  in  that  Ilan- 
•  iver  deal.  But  Prnssian  jealousy  was  aroused  to  the  highest 
pitch  when,  in  the  summer  of  1806,  a  league  of  nearly  twenty 
of  t!:e  southern  German  states,  Bavaria,  Wiirtemberg,  and 
I'.aden  chief  among  them,  sought  shelter  under  Napoleon's 
powerful  protection  and  acclaimed  him  the  overlord  of  a  third 
ot'  (iermany.  As  the  war  party  rallied  around  (^ueen  Louise, 
I  he  tiiidd.  halting  King  of  Prussia  was  swept  along  on  the 
■uiTcnt,  and  prudence  fled  the  court  of  Berlin.  What  if 
tlie  (irand  Army,  like  a  crouching  lion  ready  to  spring,  was 
restiiiu'  on  its  laurels  by  the  Prussian  bortler!  What  if  it  was 
com tna tided  by  the  matchless  conqueror  of  the  armies  of  Aus- 
tria and  Russia  !  Napoleon  had  yet  to  meet  the  invincible 
army  of  Frederick  the  Great,  ofBcered  by  the  heirs  of  Freder- 
ick's lieutenants,  carpet  knights  who  flattered  themselves  that 
tlicy  had  inherited  the  martial  virtues  along  with  the  castles 
"f  their  sires. 


220 


i.N  Till-;  FuuTSTi:rs  ok  nai'(jlj;(jn 


lilllilrd     IS    SO 

If    two    powers 


Monibors  of  the  iiol,l(>  rniiird  ulicttcd  tlieir  black's  on  th. 
sfoiii'  sti'ps  of  tilt'  Fri'iicli  l^inhassy  in  {'..rliti  and  Napoleon 
^'rasped  Ills  sword  when  he  li.ard  of  tlirir  ddiam'.':  "Tlir 
insolent  liratr^Mrts  shall  soon  h'arn  that  our  weapons  need  no 
sharpen  in-,'."  Althont-'ti  he  in-xlerted  no  detail  in  his  {(repa- 
rations for  war  lie  could  not  helieve  the  [ihiin  si<rns  of  eoiuiii;: 
hostilities.  As  late  as  the  middle  uf  Srjitenih.  r  he  said: 
"The  idea  that  Prussia  will  attaik  ine  sin-^'h 
absurd  that  it  does  not  deserve  notice." 
were  ninst  nnetiually  niatehed.  I'nissia  had  only  lO.OOO.Oili) 
people  a^^ainst  five  times  that  number  under  Xai)oleon's  swa.. 

As  always  with  N'apoleoirs  foes,  the  Prussians  fancied  i.icy 
pould  fool  him.  The  Kiu^',  altliou^'li  he  had  reopene..  t'f 
port  of  Bremen  to  Uritish  commerce  and  bis  troops  already 
were  on  the  niareb,  contrratulated  himself  in  a  letter  to  the 
Czar  in  the  first  week  of  September,  1806,  that  "I<  iiaparte 
has  left  me  at  my  ease."  ^Vhile  Napoleon  was  lea.  in^'  Freder- 
ick William  at  his  ease,  he  was  loadirif]^  down  the  luains  of 
lis,'ht  with  semaphore  telegrams  to  his  army.  Possessing;?  the 
only  oi)tieal  telef,'rai)hic  system,  be  could  send  an  order  ff  n 
I'aris  to  the  Rhine  in  half  an  hour,  a  distance  that  the  post 
required  four  days  to  cover. 

At  last  in  early  October,  Prussia  delivered  her  ultimaturu, 
which,  when  received,  left  Napoleon  only  one  day  to  quit 
rierman  soil.  Already,  however,  bis  vanguard  was  across  the 
Bavarian  frontier  and  moving  toward  the  enemy. 

The  war  had  begun,  with  120.000  Prussians  and  Saxons 
moving  southwestward  toward  the  communications  of  the 
Orand  Army,  while  the  Grand  Army  itself,  190,000  strong, 
moved  northward  from  Bavaria  To  place  itself  between  the 
Allies  and  their  base.  One  fatal  difference  lay  in  the  seemint? 
paradox  that  the  shorter  legtred  Frenchmen  covered  more 
ground  in  a  day  than  the  longer-legged  Germans.  Where 
each  army  was  marching  to  cut  the  other's  eommunicati..  s  the 
one  that  cut  first  would  surely  win.  The  tradition  h  '1  come 
down  to  the  Prussians  that  from  twelve  to  fifteen  miles  was  a 
long  enough  march  for  an  army  to  make  in  a  da.v.  The  Freneh 
under    Lannes,    however,    marched    sixt.y-five    miles   in    fiftv 


lllK    L'oNVllKKH.    IV     MllNv.iMii; 


^^^^^^^^H 
^^^^^^^H 

Ills    Camp    W  asiist  vxii    a\ii    IIis;    Hat 
(Now    tifusiirttl    in   tlir   .Mumi'Uiii   of   tilt-   InvalidfS) 


CinsiIINC    I'UTSSIA 


L'Jl 


hours.  iJiTiiiulotti-  riiiir''lii(l  liis  imii  si'Vcnty-flw  milos  in 
si\t\ -iiiiif  liours  iiiid  Lcl'i'hic  s  ('Diiiiiiaml  iiiinlt'  I'orty-two  iiiilis 
in  <>m'  <lii>'. 

Tl.r  Alius  liiid  no  i'l'U  wlwrr  Xiipolcnu  wiis  until  suddciily 
lliry  wiTi'  iiiiidc  piiiiit'iilly  jiWiirr  (d'  liis  lUTsriiri'  lii'hirid  tlicin 
oil  tln'ir  liiifs.  'I'hcii  tlii'ir  aniiy  tunicd  iis  involuntarily,  as 
iiistiiu'tivrly  as  a  doir  wiicn  cantrlit  hy  tin'  tad. 

An  ann\  's  lini'S  of  supply  lia\('  hrcii  calii'd  its  niusclcs; 
V.  Ii'  II  tliry  ari'  iMd,  flu'  iinlilary  liody  is  par'alysrd.  I'ai'alysis 
-  1  id  upon  the  lii'ain  (d"  tlir  allird  army  wliiii  its  traders  rcal- 
i-i  d  tliat  N'a|)olcon,  instead  of  bcin^  in  front  of  tlifin  was 
!"  liind  tliiin.  Conlusioii  ndirncd  in  tlieir  councils  and  coidi- 
(ii  In  c  forsook  the  conceit  of  tlie  aristocratic  oniceis.  The  com- 
missary was  deiMoralised  ami  the  poor  s(ddiers,  witliout 
rations,  were  inar(dicd  and  counterinarclied  in  a  tan^'lc  of 
iiintr.idietory  plans. 

Il.i  iMir  paralysed  the  Iiead  of  tlio  allied  army  and  spread 
'iinsli  rnation  through  its  ranks,  Napoleon's  next  object  was  to 
t';ill  upon  the  bewildered  foe  and  annihilate  him.  Wliih  tiie 
l'rii--ia;is  and  Saxons  were  hurriedh  fallinu'  liack  in  an  etTort 
til  I'cpair  their  comnuinications,  l;c  stniek  one  division  of 
tlieii).  as  much  to  his  own  surprise  as  to  tiieirs,  on  a  lofty 
p'.it.au  aliove  Jena. 

The  scholastic  repose  of  that  ancient  and  celebrated  univer- 
sity town  is  fniarded  by  two  towering  sentinel  lieii,'lit.s,  one  tlie 
r.;-iiiarkturn  and  tlie  other  the  Landsrrafenber<r.  whose  top- 
'  -t  hei;.'ht  is  called  the  Napoleonstein.  For  it  is  there  on 
tl  lit  brow  of  tlie  Landj^rafenbertr  that  Napoleon  pitched  his 
I'ivouac  in  a  waning  October  day.  and  there  in  the  ilawn  of 
tli'    riillowintr  tlay  he  opene<l  the  famous  Battle  of  Jena. 

The  landscajie  of  the  plateau  is  delightfully  Oerinan,  with 
its  old  windmills  and  its  little  poster  villages,  where  the  farm- 
■  IS.  instead  of  dwelling  apart  on  their  acres,  gather  to  make 
til'  ir  homes  about  the  kirche  and  the  gasthof.  It  was  around 
tliose  traiKjuil  little  hatidets  that  tlie  strife  raged  in  greatest 
t  iry  as  Caul  and  Teuton  took  and  retook  them  while  a  ludl  of 
I'^d  jiclt  'd  their  walls. 

ALTainst  the  tinv  town  nf  Vier7elinhi'ili(ren  in  r^nrtienlar  the 


009 


IN  TlIK   FOOTSTKPS  OF  NA1'()LH(JX 


•od  for  a  full  half  day.     Beside  its  modest,  old 


battle  tide  surg 
luin-h  to-day  tiiere     ises  a  ero.-  .  in  memory 


ehui 


)f  til 


e  men  who 


id  dooryards,  and  its  tavern 


were  slain  m  Us  wiiuling  lanes 
walls  are  covered  with  rusty  souvenirs  of  the  held  ot  combat. 
Although  diviiU'd  by  stone  walls  into  many  thrifty  little  Ger- 
nmn  farms,  the  size  of  the  battleheld  is  better  suited  for  golf 
links  than  for  p.  mightv  combat  between  two  great  armies. 

The  larger  part  of  that  small  tield  was  whi^e  with  the  tents 

of  the  Prussians  and  Saxons  when  Napoleon  climbed  up  the 

front  of  the  Landurafenberg,  which  rises  as  steep  as  a  roof 

from  the  valley  in  which  Jena  drowses  beside  the  liiver  Saale. 

He  saw  the  Allies  across  the  field,  hardly  a  mile  away,  where 

they  were  flattering  tbemselvi^s  that  they  were  secure  against 

tlie*  approach  of  the  eiemy.     They  held  the  only  high  road 

from  .Jena,  which  winds  about  until  it  takes  the  big  hill  in  the 

rear,  while  the  almost  perpendieular  front  of  the  hill  rose  like 

an  impregnable  breastwoi'k  for  their  jtrotection.     The  thought 

that  a  great  army  might  scale  it  had  not  entered  their  fears. 

NapoltHin,  liowever.  tiad  not  sent  an  army  up  the  walls  of  tlu' 

Alps  to  b(!  daunted  now  by  the  Landgrafeuberg  and  he  or- 

ilered  his  eolunuis  to  scramble  after  him  up  the  wooded  steeps. 

As  iii-ht  drew  on,  the  lights  of  tlic  allied  camp  blazed  forth. 

:>!eanwhile  over  at  the  brow  of  the  blutf,  where  a  tree  and  seat 

now  mark  the  site  of  Napoleoii's  bivouac,  a  single  small  flame 

flickered   unnoticed   in  the  outer  darkness.     It   was  the  Ciily 

light  iiennitted  in  the  French  camp,  and  the  i:mperor  sat  by 

it  studying  his  plans  for  the  morrow. 

All  I'liL'bt  his  soldiers  were  toiling  up  the  htony  beds  of  the 
dry  brooks,  but  they  extinguished  their  lanterns  as  they  en- 
t.red  upon  the  plateau  and  joined  their  sleeping  comrades  in 
the  silent  encampment.  It  was  the  I^mpercr's  habit,  how- 
ever, to  sleep  little  the  night  before  a  b;«ttle.  Most  commaml- 
ers  at  such  times  issue  their  orders  for  iiie  next  day  and  go  to 
bed.  Napoleon,  on  the  contrary,  took  his  rest  lirst  and  planned 
his  battles  after  refreshing  him.self  with  sleep  and  when  he 
was  in  jtossession  of  the  latest  re.iorts  to  reach  his  headfpiar- 
ters.     "I  lie  down  at  eight  o'clock."  he  wrote  Josephine  from 


CRUSIIINd  PRUSSIA 


223 


!li,>  Prussian  iMinpaign,  "ami  I  rise  at  tnidniglit.     I  somotiraes 
thiuk  that  you  are  not  yet  abod. " 

Whfii  lie  rose  at  inidnicrlit  before  tlie  Rattle  of  Jena  and 
made  tlie  round  of  his  lines,  he  found  some  heavy  ginis  had 
li.cu  stalled  ii\  the  steep  track  up  the  hritrht.  He  went  ainon^ 
the  tiaflled  otKleers  and  weary  soldiers.  As  they  saw  the  Em- 
[M  ror,  lantern  in  hand,  taking  ehare.e  of  the  work,  they  were 
m-i'ired  to  renewed  etVorts  in  their  struggles  against  the  roeks 
and  trees  that  opposed  them. 

When  the  darkness  of  night  had  lifted  from  the  field,  a 
h.avy  fog  remained  to  eoneeal  from  the  unsuspecting  enemy 
the  movements  of  the  Freneh.  The  Allies  were  still  fast 
a^hrp  when,  out  of  a  thick  mi  c,  a  shower  of  bullets  began 
Middeiily  to  rain  upon  their  tetU.,.  Finding  that  the  lire  came 
t'foin  their  rear  the  eonniianding  officers  were  satisiied  that 
the  attack  was  being  made  by  a  mere  skirmishing  party  which 
had  cout-ived  to  climb  the  face  of  the  hill.  It  is  a  fact  that 
the  batiif  had  been  in  jirogress  perhaps  two  hours  before  the 
V.  liousiiess  of  the  engagement  was  appreciated. 

Napoleon's  first  obje<'t  and  need  was  to  drive  in  the  wings 
iif  the  allied  forces  and  gain  a  decent  footing  on  the  little  field 
t' ir  his  own  constantly  swelling  army,  which  was  sei)arated 
irniii  the  enemy's  lines  by  only  1200  yards.  The  precipice  of 
tiic  handirrafenberg  yawned  behind  him,  and  few  connnanders 
unuhl  have  undertaken  to  open  a  great  battle  in  such  close 
i|iiartcrs.  Moreover  it  was  luxm  before  his  reinforcements  gave 
liiiii  as  many  men  as  the  enemy.  It  was  only  by  the  swiftest 
niaivhcs  that  he  was  saved  from  being  badly  outnumbered,  and 
tlic  battle  was  won  by  the  legs  of  the  French.  If  they  had 
trav'llrd  at  the  pace  usual  with  armies,  dena  would  have  been  a 
defeat  instead  of  a  victory  for  Najiolcon. 

While  he  waited  for  his  hurrying  troops  to  climb  up  on  the 
phiteau.  lie  postponed  the  decisive  stroke  and  the  imperial 
guard  burned  with  (iallic  impatience  to  get  into  the  fray. 
"Fdtwai'd  I"  some  guardsman  in  the  ranks  sliouted  at  last. 
.NaiKihMiii  turned  in  the  saddle  to  scowl  sternly  at  the  impetu- 
ous soldier. 


224 


IX  TllH  FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLEON 


"How,  now!"  lie  cxflaiiiuMl.  ''What  beardless  youth  is 
this  who  (lares  to  otVcr  his  rcmiiNels  to  his  Emperor  '  Let  liiui 
wait  lill  he  has  eoiuiiiaink-u  in  thirty  piteiied  battles  before  he 
Vfiilures  to  irive  me  aiivieel"  Nevertheless  he  enjoyed  the 
valiant  spirit  of  the  fnifU'dsmai;.  and  the  rash  youth  and  the 
Na{>oleonie  scowl  have  been  pcrpetuatetl  at  the  palace  of  Ver- 
scilles  in  Iloi'ace  Vernefs  picture  of  the  "Battle  or  Jena." 

Hy  two  o'clock  there  was  fitrhlinj;  enoufjh  behind  the  f,'ard(!i 
walls  of  Vierzehnhcilijiren  for  the  most  ardent  warrior.  Then- 
the  rout  of  the  Allies  be<i:an.  There  the  kingdom  of  Frederick 
the  Great  was  smitten  to  earth.  At  four,  Napoleon  was  the 
master  of  the  no  loiiLTcr  disputt'd  Held,  where  the  French  ar- 
tillery, drawn  at  a  fxallop  in  pursuit  of  the  fleeing  m";b,  ground 
its  way  over  the  Itones  of  the  dead. 

It  was  a  day  of  surprises  for  both  sides.  Napoleon  thouglit 
he  had  beaten  the  army  accompanied  by  the  King  until  a 
courier  arrived  to  repoit  that  ^larshal  Davout  had  eome  upon 
that  army  under  the  command  of  the  Duke  of  Brunswick  at 
Auerstadt.  twelve  miles  from  the  battlefield  of  Jena.  It  wa-; 
at  Auerstadt  that  the  greater  liuht  was  fought,  the  greater 
victory  won  by  the  P'reneh  and  with  a  force  that  was  outnum- 
bered in  that  engagement  nearly  two  to  one. 

From  both  fields  the  Prussians  were  in  wild  flight;  th" 
Duke  of  Bnmswick  was  mortally  wounded;  Prince  Ilohenlohe 
was  racing  for  safety;  their  armies  were  hopelessly  smashed. 

Napoleon,  having  !)eaten  the  Allies  on  the  field  of  battle, 
proceedc'  to  employ  the  arts  of  statesmanship  and  diplouuKy 
to  divide  them  forever.  He  assemitled  and  addressed  in 
friendl,\  terms  the  captive  Saxon  ofTicers,  who  pledged  them- 
selves not  only  to  abandon  tlie  war  against  him  and  ero  home, 
but  also  to  advise  their  sovereign  to  break  the  alli-mce  witli 
Prussia. 

On  his  march  to  Berlin,  he  entered  the  green  gate  and  went 
to  bed  in  the  very  rococo  precincts  of  the  great  Frederick'.' 
much  Frenchified  palace  of  Sans  Souci,  which  sits  amid  its 
terraces  and  fo\nitains  at  Potsdam.  Having  overthrown  the 
kingdom  of  Frederick  in  a  campaign  of  seven  di.ys,  he  felt 
entitleil  to  make  himself  at  home  in  the  favourite  abode  of  the 


iCSMf 


CRUSIIIXC   PRUSSIA 


22.- 


Iiiiw  of  1)10  Scvon  Years'  War.  Like  the  tourists  who  daily 
stream  through  tli"  green  gate,  ho  visited  Voltaire's  room,  sav, 
til"  chair  in  which  Frederick  passed  tiio  declining  days  of  his 
Iran  olil  age,  the  hed  on  y  hu  h  he  dietl.  the  clock  which  he 
iiM'd  to  wind  and  whose  hands  stopjjcd  at  tlie  very  minute  of 
its  master's  death. 

Tile  uninvited  guest  of  Sans  Souei  also  made  a  pilgrimage 
til  I  lie  (Jarrisou  church  in  the  town  of  Potsdam,  the  place  of 
'Aii.  .Iim  of  the  Ilohen/ollerns,  which  is  almost  as  nlain  as  a 
y  .  k  ;gland  meeting  house.  There  in  a  bare,  dingy  alcove 
lirluiid  the  severely  simple  Lutheran  pulpit,  two  plain  marble 
sarcopliagi  rest  on  the  floor.  One  holds  the  dust  of  Freder 
i  k's  ((uarrelsome  father,  Frederick  William  I,  while  the  other. 
( DVrred  with  wreaths,  holds  the  du.st  of  the  illustrious  son. 

The  sword  and  sash  and  hat  of  the  mighty  warrior  lay  upon 
Ills  sarcophagus  wlien  Napoleon  visited  the  tomb  and  he 
jinniptly  ordered  that  they  be  sent  to  the  museum  of  the 
Hut,!  des  Invalides  in  Paris.  "I  would  rather  have  these 
tliaii  2<',0fln,nn()  francs,"  was  his  very  practical  computation 
(if  the  value  of  those  most  impressive — if  unworthy — trophies 
of  his  victory  over  Prussia. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

KYL.VU  AND  FRIKDIANI) 


18U7      AGE   37 

TTTE  sorrows  of  tho  kintrdoin  of  Priissia  in  tht  hmuiliat- 
iiif:  years  that  followed  its  siiddi'ii  follai>-"  under  tlic 
hlows  of  Napoleon  are  personified  to  th'  syiiipatli  -; 
of  posterity  by  the  beautiful  (^ueen  Louise. 

The  aiaazin-,'  wreck  of  tiie  proud  kin^'doni  of  Frederiek  the 
Croat,  and  the  distressint;  pliirht  of  the  royal  house  of  Iloheii- 
zollern  are  not  easy  to  iuia^rine.  That  awful  disaster,  the 
swiftest  and  most  complete  that  ever  betVll  a  ^'rea.  monarchy, 
is  best  measured  by  takinj^  a  journey  of  700  miles  aloii'^  the 
path  of  Louise's  fli^'ht  from  the  held  of  the  calamitous  battle 
at  -lena.  in  October,  1S06,  to  the  little  stretch  of  sand  by  the 
Baltic  which  at  last  was  the  only  refuge  left  her  beneath  the 
Prussian  flau. 

First  iroing  to  lierlin,  whither  she  drove  in  an  open  cart, 
Louise  was  warned  by  the  commandant  of  her  capital  that  to 
e-^cape  cai)ture  slie  must  leave  the  next  morning.  (Quitting  the 
[lalace,  where  in  a  few  days  Napoleon  wou.d  take  up  his  re^i- 
denee  and  seeking  safety  in  the  fortress  city  of  Stettin,  she  was 
to  find  no  security  even  behind  its  walls.  Its  eighty-one-year- 
old  commandant  was  (juaking  with  alarm,  and  there  tlie  Qm  en 
heard  that  even  tlie  King,  whom  she  had  not  seen  since  they 
parted  on  the  eve  of  the  overwhelming  defeat  at  Jena,  was 
nady  to  give  up.  "For  (Jod's  sake."  she  implored  him  ly 
messenger,  "'no  shameful  peace!"  Hoping  to  brace  the  will 
of  her  spineless  husband,  she  hurried  away  to  join  him  at 
Custrin. 

An  epidenne  of  surrender  had  spread  over  the  lantl.  \ 
paralvsis  had  smitten  all  resolution  throughout  the  rcuntry. 

•2ZQ 


. 


1 


EVLAC  AN  )  FHIEDLAXI) 


227 


\  contagion  of  fear  li;i(]  scizct  ipoii  the  leaders  ot'  Pru-  -ia,  a 
ri..viirill/  aristoeraey,  whu  wer-  surreiideriuf:  everytluuj;  at 
thr  -i^'lit  of  a  Freneliniaii.  A  f,'uar(l  of  500  p'reiieli  had 
iiiariiii'd  vva,,  from  Kifurt  with  10,000  prisoners;  Prinee 
Ilo'i.  f  lohe  was  a  ])risoner.  Before  a  mere  liandful  of  Na- 
I  Ill's  troops,  12,01  ''  Pnissians  had  laid  tlown  their  arms  at 
I'i'i  :i/.Iii'  Mafrdel)ui'-',  with  24,000  men,  ran  up  tiie  white 
tl.i'^'  liefui  ••  the  invader  could  mount  a  ^ui  iu  front  of  it. 
ill ili.'i  had  ouly  busied  itself  with  arranging  a  courteous  wel- 
intiii  for  the  eneiiiv.  In  all,  five  great  m-'itary  strongholds 
>'.  ik  tlieir  colours  within  the  fortnight  after  the  Battle 
of  Jena. 

The  presence  of  the  resolute  Queen  at  Custrin  overbalanced 
the  majority  in  ^he  King's  eoiuicil,  which  hail  been  advising' 
his  acceptance  of  Napoleon's  (.lemands.  Frederick  William 
u;is  persuaded  to  rely  on  the  assistance  of  the  Czar  Alexander, 
tor  had  not  Alexander  pledged  his  friendship  over  the  tomb 
of  Frederick  the  (Jreat  only  a  year  before'/  No{)oleon  grimly 
r.tortrd  to  Frederick  William's  refusal  of  i)eace:  "You  have 
taken  the  t)ox  and  thrown  the  dice.     The  dice  shall  decide." 

Tli(  King  and  Queen  must  now  move  on  to  the  Vistula,  the 
next  liver  hairier  against  the  advancing  hosts  of  the  con- 
'pi'idr,  for  soon  Custrin,  with  its  l:{.0()(/  troops  and  ninety 
triiiis,  was  to  yield  to  a  regiment  of  French.  An  army  of  150,- 
I'iii'  I'russians  had  melted  away  in  four  weeks,  and  only  8000 
Ki'Vr  left  to  upliold  tlu'  standards  of  the  kingdom. 

Wliile  the  King  and  Queen  were  hiding  in  a  little  ri^'er 
'null,  whci'e  they  occupied  one  small  room  in  a  miserable 
wniiileii  house,  Napoleon  was  comt'ortably  at  home  in  their 
t-'itiit  palace.  Dating  hi-  orders  from  "The  Imperial  Camp 
at  licrlin,"  he  issued  to  a  suliject  world  his  celebrated  "Berlin 
Decree,''  forbidding  all  Europe  to  trade  with  England,  use 
lur  products,  correspond  with  her  people  or  even  send  by  post 
any  litter  written  in  English. 

It  was  not  long  until  Frederick  William  and  Louise  in  their 
ii'  vrr  ■ndiiiL''  flight  from  the  advancing  Freiicb,  Imd  to  j)Ut  the 
^'i^tiila  beliind  them.  Crossing  into  Fast  Prussia,  they  made 
th'  u-  toilsome  way  in  the  mud  to  Osterode,  more  than  three 


22.S 


IN  TIIK  FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAI'OLKON 


hnndrod  milos  from  Rorlin  and  n.'urly  tivo  hundred  from  Jena. 
'I'lii.  farther  thcv  went  the  <^vvdU'r  '^n-w  Napoleon's  demands. 
The  war  at  the  outset  had  tiUed  him  with  fjeniiine  indif^'na- 
tioii.  Il-iwever  mueli  or  litth'  hi'  may  luive  (h'served  it,  hu 
had  not  desired  it.  His  ra^'o  overtlowed  all  hounds  when  the 
King  declined  to  make  pea<-e  with  him  at  Borlin  and  when  he 
saw  the  Prussian  court  inviting  "the  Tartar  harharians,"  as 
lie  called  the  Russians,  to  take  part  in  an  atlair  between  eivil- 
isi'd  nations  of  the  west.  Droi-ping  the  comparatively  modest 
demands  he  oritrinally  Tuade,  he  now  insisted  on  the  Holieii- 
zollern  monarchy  giving  up  everythimr  from  the  Vistula  to 
tlie  Eltie.  a  territory  WO  milos  wide  from  east  to  west  and 
including  Pcrlin  herself. 

Most  of  the  King's  advisors,  distrusting  the  good  faith  nt 
Russia,  urged  him  to  agree  oven  to  that  heavy  sacrifice.  ^  Hut 
once  more  Lo\iise's  influence  outweighed  their  counsels.  "The 
Queen  ha)  never  once  acted  contrary  to  hor  instinct  for  hero- 
ism and  tenacity, "  the  Swedish  aml)assador  accompanying  the 
fu'jitive  court  has  testilied;  "every  one  has  followed  her  lead 
with  entluisiasm." 

The  ambassador  correctly  named  the  (piality  which  governed 
Louise  in  that  dark  crisis.  It  was  her  woman's  instinct. 
Vov  that  amiable  Princess  was  not  a  politician,  skill-nl  in  po- 
litical intrigue,  as  Napoleon  was  portraying  iier  in  his  un  .al- 
lant  bulletins.  Nor  was  hers  a  martial  nature  with  the  spuit 
of  an  Amazon.  She  was  only  a  simple,  loyal  woman,  horn 
and  brought  up  in  the  provinces,  whose  gentle  bosom  was  agi- 
tated Nvlth  the  emotions  of  (ierman  patriotism,  a  thing  un- 
known to  thv'  Prussian  royalty  and  aristocracy  as  a  whole. 

Anoth-r  i)owei-ful  instinct  animated  Louise,  the  maternal 
instinct.  For  the  Queen  was  a  good  mother,  who,  altlunitrh 
only  thirtv.  liad  left  behind  in  her  flii-dit  the  new-made  grave 
of  "her  eighth  child.  To  her  the  kingdom  was  not  a  mere 
political  institution,  but  a  heritage  to  be  preserved  and  trans- 


mitted  to  he) 


iron,  with  wl  >m  she  was  reunited  at  last 


when  she  took  up  her  residence  in  the  ancient  castle  at  Konis-'s- 

borg. 

The  roval  familv  now  had  been  hunted  beyond  the  con- 


I 


KVLAT  AND  FHIKDLANI) 


;) 


fines ')['  Ocrinany,  as  its  Ipouiidarics  wore  tln'ti  ililiiicc].  For  at 
Iviiiiirsltt'i'L'  tlic_\-  Were  ill  lli.it  (Md  I'l'iissia  or  I'l'iissia  jn'opcr 
wiii-li  ()rii,'iiially  was  outside  the  (leriiiaii  world,  althoii!,'!)  it 
v,;i-  destined  to  trivf  its  name  to  the  doiuiiiant  stale  in  t!ie 
( I'liiian  1-ltiipir'e  of  a  hitef  d-iy. 

The  <2""''"  found  the  easth',  whoso  tower  lias  risen  tlieso 
hniiilreds  of  years  alwive  the  River  I'reLrel  as  it  tinws  throus-'h 
the  eity  of  K()nit:shcr<r,  a  hi^',  liai'e  ham  (if  a  |)laee.  Only  l)y 
hniniwintr  beds  and  chairs  and  taldes  from  the  wealthy  mer- 
rhaiits  of  the  town  was  it  made  halntahle. 

At  last,  however.  Louise  had  her  ehildrou  around  her,  and 
that  was  suflicieiit  to  make  the  eheerless  eastle  a  home.  Her 
(ilijist  hoy  was  eleven,  and  he  was  to  fyrow  up  to  lie  Kinf? 
Fi'.ileriek  William  IV.  The  seeomi  boy,  ^Villiam.  was  nearly 
•'II  It  was  written  in  the  hook  of  fate  that,  on  the  death  of 
tlie  elder  iirother,  he  too  would  be  crowned  Kiiiir  some  day  in 
lliat  very  eastle  of  Ivi'initrsberjr.  and  lie  more  tlian  Kintr — the 
liisf  Kiii|)eror  of  a  new  (ierman  Kmpire  which  was  to  rise 
t'riiiii  tlie  ruins  tluit  then  confronti'd  tlie  royal  family. 

Tlirouudi  his  lon^  life,  AVilliam  never  for<_'ot  tlie  New  Year's 
!.'it't,  the  uniform  of  the  Prussian  (iuai'd,  which  he  reci'ived  at 
Ivini<rsheryr.  And  it  must  have  been  an  unforgettable  disap- 
poiiitiiieiit  that  his  motiier  could  not  see  him  on  tlie  parade 
ground.  For  the  weeks  of  i^rief  and  privation  liad  made 
Louise  an  easy  prey  to  typhoid,  wliich  was  rairinii  through  the 
town  and  the  camps,  and  the  court  feared  for  her  life. 

As  a  Russian  army  prepared  to  come  to  the  relief  of  Prus- 
sia. Napoleon  advanced  to  meet  it.  The  new  campaifn^  opened 
on  those  luckless  plains  of  Poland,  which  in  1!)14.  becai  e  the 
theatre  for  the  first  act  on  the  eastern  front  in  the  War  of  the 
X.itioiis.  Tlie  national  boundaries  then  were  ven.-  different 
fioin  the  lines  afterward  drawn.  In  the  parti*ion  of  the 
I'eli^h  kinu'doin,  Prussia  had  taken  a  mudi  lar^'er  aiid  Russia 
a  'iiai-h  smaller  share  than  in  the  settlement  made  after  the 
fill!  (if  N;![)oleon.  The  Russian  frontier  then  ran  only  a  little 
west  of  the  eity  of  Vilna.  while  the  Prussian  pos.sessions  in- 
chuled  Warsaw  and  extended  far  to  the  east  of  that  city. 

The  strategic;  points,  howi  ver,  have  not  ehanged  with  time 


230 


IN  TIIK   FOOTSTKI'S  OK  NAI'OLKoX 


and  wpro  mnoh  tlic  siirin'  in  N.ipolron  "s  canipjii'^'M  iis  in  tlu' 
War  of  the  \;ifi(ins.  'l"|i.'  I''r.>!M-ii  ji!'''S'-''(l  I'orwurd  \i!i(>[»pi>s'(! 
and  without  p;nisin<r,  from  t'orti'ss  to  fortress,  fi'oni  tlif  Odrr 
to  the  Vistulii,  from  Thorn  iind  I'osm  to  Warsaw.  As  lie 
Went,  the  Frcthdi  Kinpcror  fncd  the  I'olish  serfs  and  around 
the  patriot  I'oles,  who  weh-o>iied  him  as  their  deliverer  from 
the  Russian  and  Prussian  yokes. 

It  was  not  until  the  I'olish  winter  liad  eoiiie  that  tlir 
slow  moving  Russians  entered  1'rus.sian  Poland  and  eliallenired 
Na{)oleon.  Leaving  Warsaw,  he  o|)ened  the  hardest  eampaiirii 
he  had  seen  since  he  emei-'_'ed  from  an  Oriental  desert  and  the 
hardest  hv  was  again  to  sec  until  the  invasion  of  Russia  in 
1M2.  'I'lie  fro/en  wastes  of  norther'n  Poland  v.cre  hai'dly  hs-s 
l)arr-en  of  food  for  soldiers  than  the  Ku'vptian  sands.  Even 
wlien  they  eoidd  get  hr-ead  it  was  in  loaves  of  hlack  rye,  which 
the  French  could  neither  enjoy  i.or  diixest. 

The  peasantry,  with  nothini,'  to  spai'e  from  their  scant  pro- 
vision against  starvation  in  the  lonir  winter-,  huiieil  the  litdc 
they  |)0ssessc(l  at  the  approach  of  the  army,  and  took  to  the 
wood.s.  Raidirrg  soldier-s  flew  at  the  wr-etched,  depo|)ulatc(l 
villages  oidy  to  havt   their  hunger  mocked  by  disappointment. 

A  mutinous  u.'irmur  rose  and  s])rea(i  through  the  ranks. 
The  snIdieiN  had  ■  )t  seer,  a  pay  day  sukc  the  war'  began.  Not 
a  few  in  their  desjiair,  resorted  to  suiciile.  The  viet'jrious 
troops  of  Austerlitz,  instead  of  lieing  led  back  to  France  in 
triumph  and  enjoying  their  well-won  glory  by  their  firesides, 
fornd  themselves  after  a  year  marching  farther  and  fartlicr 
from  home  into  the  dej)ths  ol  a  bleak  desolation,  where  they 
plouirhed  through  mud  by  day  an;l  were  ps.sailed,  by  wintry 
blasts  at  night. 

While  no  eommaiuh'r  ever  e.>;eelled  Xapoh'on  in  liis  atten- 
tion to  tho  needs  of  his  troops  or  e(iualle(l  him  in  his  altility 
to  provide  for  them,  it  wa.s,  however,  his  nia.xim  to  "make 
war  suppor't  war."  I?ut  now  he  was  in  a  c(  mtry  which  eould 
not  support  it.  He  drain-d  lis  resources  to  the  last  drop  and 
even  employed  :50,0()(;  captured  tents  to  make  shirts  for  the 
sick.  He  -ared  nothing  for  tents  in  themselves,  holdincr  that 
they  were  uuhealthful  and  that  it  was  "much  better  for  the 


KVF.AI-  AM)   I'KIHDLAXI) 


2:n 


snIditM'  to  t'i\(Hiiii'  ill  till'  ()[)('ii  air,  for  thtt'c  lie  can  Iniild  a  tire 

:iii.l   >«lrrj)   \\  nil    warm    fret." 

lie  liiid  .siiiali  s\  iii|)alliy  witli  faiilt-fmdin^;  soldiers  in  that 
I.  rrilili'  winter  cai  ipai^Mi  iifcaiise  lie  siiarcd  their  liardshijis 
111. I  was  thriving  on  them.  lie  always  felt  better  in  tlie  worst 
ciiaip  than  in  the  most  luxurious  palace.  While  living'  on 
princely  fare  at  Warsaw,  he  siill'ered  from  violent  convuNions 
ill  till'  stomach  which  he  feared  were  the  s\  mptoms  of  cancel-. 
■  .  disease  that  caused  his  father's  deatli.  liiit  in  the  midst 
i!  liL'orous  ('ainpait,'iiin'.j,  lie  wrote  to  .losephiiu':  "I  have 
ii.\,  r  lireii  so  well.  You  will  find  me  mueli  fatter."  Yet  ho 
was  eatiiiir  soldiers'  rations  and  sleepiiiijr  in  foul  hovels,  where 
lie  dared  not  undress.  Throutrh  one  period  of  fourteen  (hiys 
m  'hat  campaiirn  he  did  not  tako  off  his  hoots.  Marshals  of 
I'lMiii'c  Were  •,'lad  enough  some  ni^dits  to  lie  on  a  manure  pile 
ami  enjoy  its  warmth. 

The  Frencli  had  hihourod  up  out  of  Poland  and  were  now 
ill  wiiilci'  (juarters  on  tlitj  liroad,  I'russian  plains,  some  fifty 
miles  to  the  south  of  Kdnitrsfiei'ir.  On  his  own  responsiiiility, 
the  restless  Xev  di(!  iiide<'  1  threaten  that  I'ity,  whose  gates 
V,''.  liarrica(h'd  hut  defench'd  hy  only  a  small  force.  The 
|i!  c  was  lilled  with  [lanic,  and  Louise,  although  still  lov.-  with 
r  ■■  r,  in^isted  upon  being  moved  from  the  menaced  towii.  To 
in  r  anxious  physician  who  was  reluctant  to  risk  tlie  journey, 
■-lie  diclared,  "1  would  rather  fall  hy  'he  hand  of  God  than 
into  the  hands  of  those  men." 

l!  w.is  in  the  depth  of  winter,  witli  a  storm  sweeping  in 
VniH  the  lialtie  and  beating  against  the  windows  of  the  eastle, 
« 111  II  the  stricken  Imt  still  resolute  Queen,  lying  down  on  cot- 
t'lii  iiales  in  a  carriagi",  resumed  her  long  flight  from  Xa|)oleon 
111  tile  one  refuge  left  her  in  all  her  kingdom.  This  was  th.e 
liti!.'  town  of  Meme!  on  the  Baltic,  near  the  Russian  border, 
iiiKl  the  last  dot  on  the  map  of  Prussia. 

The  road  followed  a  narrow  strip  of  sand  that  forms  a  break- 
\v;:t,r  between  the  lialtic  and  the  Kurisches  HafT,  which  is  a 
L'iv;it  lagoon.  That  slender  strand  was  -.'overed  with  a  forest 
a  trw  years  before  and  occupied  by  many  fishing  villages. 
I'lit  the  Prussian  kintrs  in  their  t:reed  had  latelv  cut  down  the 


232 


i\  Tin;  FoorsTKi's  ok  NArouoox 


trt'fs.     'I"tiriT\i|iiin  tlir  lii^'  satiil  ilutirs,  ot'tcii  risiii;^  to  a  liciuht 


(f      L'OM      I'fi't 


iiiori- 


h.".', 


in 


it'!. 


ovrrwiiciiium: 


\Vi 


and  l)iir\  iiit,'  the  villa^'cs,  until  this  straii^'c  t(»ni,MH'  of  land 
li'I't  virtually  di'|)o|iulati(|.  'I'liosc  dnms  an-  on  tln'ir  trasils 
to  tliis  day  aintp,'  tiiat  ili'solato  short',  the  (■clcliratcil  aiiiltcr 
ooast  ol'  the  Baltic 


or  tlircc  -lanuarv  davs  a 


nd  f( 


or  rii'arlv  niiictv  niih's  LouIm 


was  (Iriviri  over  that  wild  and  dreary  track  in  miow  and  sjirt. 
with  tile  \\a\t's  of  the  lialtic  often  thri'afeiiintr  to  eii^'ulf  lur 


aeh.     One  niirht   -he  had  to  sleep  in  a  wretehi'd  tunil 


lle-(lnwil 


inn.  thronsrh   wiiose   iii'ol<ei 


1   wnidow  j)anes  the  snow  hiew  in 


upon    llel' 


■r  |)li\  >ieian,  wti 


o  had   followed   her 


way  from  l>ei'lin,  looking'  iiaek  with  hoi'ror  on  that  t'Xjjei'ii 


th. 

IICI', 


.si'died.  "Never  did  a  »,>neeii  know  micIi  want. 


Arrived  at 


.Meiiiel.  whei'e  no  provisinn  had  heeii  made  for  lier,  she  was 
lifted  in  the  arms  of  a  .servant  and  carried  into  tiie  liouse  of 
the  Danisii  eonstd. 

A  Prussian  corps  liavinir  iieen  pieced  to'.:ether  out  of  tin' 
widely  sti'euii  fi'atrmeiits  of  the  liroken  army  and  joining  in 
the  Russian  operations,  the  Russian  (iencral  Benniirseii  (htcr- 
uiini'd  to  steal  around  X.ipoleon.  At  the  tirst  sisj;n  of  Bcnnig- 
sen's  activity,  however,  the  Kmperor  started  to  creep  out  of 
his  hihernation  and  throw  himself  upon  the  enemy's  eentrc. 
Here  avrain.  the  cai/ipaij:ii  was  in  a  held  which  after  more  than 
a  century  was  recalled  to  the  attention  of  the  reading;  wirld 
liy   the  operations  of  the  ai'mies  in 


the  War  of  the  Nations. 


Four  times  Napoleon  faced  the  Russians  and  s(|uared  otT  to 
deal  his  blow,  and  four  times  they  stole  away  in  the  niirht- 
For  ten  days  the  man  hunt  went  on  like  a  ffn\\w  of  l)liiid  man's 
bntV  over  the  fields  of  Old  I'russia.  as  level  as  the  prairies  of 
111 


mois. 


tl 


Everywhere    the    iiosts   of    Napoleon    and    tlie    Czar   went, 

own.     The 


■ft 


ike  of 


ihle  than  th 


isery  more  1 

fruits  of  generations  of  toil  were  swcjit  away  as  if  by  a  con- 
fla<rratioii.  Not  a  cow  or  a  pi^'.  a  handful  of  ^'rain,  a  potato. 
a  copper  coin,  hardly  a  shred  of  clothinjr  was  spared  and  tli<' 
peasantry  abandoned  to  a  long  winter  of  hunger  and  cold,  died 


^;^■I,.\I■  .wd  fk'IKDI.and 


:!:] 


:il  a  rate  five,  >i.\,  and  Irii  tiims  jri'tnttr  lliiiii  tli>'  iiuniuil  iiidi'- 
tulity. 

(Mit  nf  tilt'  flicjitri'  of  tlint  war  of  Iiiilrons  iiH'iiiory  tlnrc  rises 
till'  stntii'  ihunli  towii-  of  l'rruN>  i\\  liui,  so  iiaiurd  tn  diNliii- 
(jlli.sll  It  I't'oiii  till'  1\\  laiis  iiihl  l)riilM-li  |-',_\  laus  <pt'  <  irrinaiiy 
propfr.  l''roiii  thai  tower  one  looks  ii|ion  a  villat,'e  of  lialt'  a 
ilii/i'ti  Ntreels  aliiinst  as  silent  as  til'-  e|iiii'i-li\  ar<l   itsilf.   aIh  i-e 

ill   tlleil"    nal'I'OW    cells    the    linie    I'liferalhel's   ,,t     the    haiiih  t    sle|it 

tlii'ir  iiiitroul)le(l  sleep  wiiilf  Ihe  soldiers  nf  many  di-<tant   na 
tioiis  t'ouy:lit  over  their  j,M'a\es. 

It  was  alter  a  eliase  of  many  da>'s  wlieii  Napoleon  ali'^hted 


l'"el)i'iiar\'  al'tei'iioon  of  iMl 


(   li\    a  ti'i 


HI  a  hill  aei'oss  the 


now 


tlowei-studiied  meadows— the  hill  and  a  lone  tiee  staiidinir 
t  eontiiiue  to  hear  his  name.     Sur".  evint:  tiie  se,  ne  from  the 


Mil   1 

liili.  he  saw  the  Russians  posted  in  the  villairi',  and  at  oiht  he 
rii  u-  at  them.  Tile  lii'st  wave  of  that  lioi'rihle  liatlle  of  K.\  lail 
Mirjjjed  at^ainst  tlie  elnirehyard  wall  at  the  edtre  of  the  little 
town  and  crimsoned  its  headstones.  Flo'vin^  onward  into  the 
tduii,  it  hroke  oxer  the  wide  stony  market  place  and  there  in 
tiniit  of  the  dirty  villa^'e  tavern,  the  cannon  of  Finance  and 
liwv-iii,  I'aciii'^  o\'ci'  the  hodies  of  the  dead,  iielchi'd  al  one 
iiiiiithcr  with  their  muz/les  only  tifty  paces  apai't. 

Tartar  and   (ianl.   Fremdi   and  Cossack,   hunted  each  other 
iik.    rats   from    hou.se   to   house   ami    fou^'ht    in    liand-todiand 


l-nliiliii 


t  for  the  possession  of  the  poor  little  town.     The  Frenidi 


t'Kik  it  at  sunset,  the  Kussians  retook  it  in  the  eveninjj  dusk, 
lint  onlv  to  drop  it  in  thirty  minutes  and  retire  into  the  hlack 
I  iMiiifryside,  where  they  siei)t  without  a  tire  to  warm  their  feet 
I'-^t  their  lurking'  place  nii<,'l;t  l)e  ilisdosed. 

Napoleon,  thereupon,  recaptured  K.\  lau  without  striking;  a 
tiint.  and  selected  the  lartfest  house  in  town  as  a  suhstitute 
''<'<'  the  Tuileries.  The  place  to-day  is  an  untidy  tenement, 
.111.1  featherdieds  and  all  manner  of  rid)hish  clutter  what 
Was  once  the  imperial  salon.  At  daylireak,  Kussian  can- 
liiiii  in  liidiiij:^  on  the  snowy  fields  liaik  of  the  town  sounded 
Ills  reveille  from  their  500  hrazen  throats,  their  shells  suddenly 
crashing  upon  Eylau  and  setting  the  villagers  shrieking.     lie 


MICROCOPY    RESOLUTION    TEST    CHART 

ANSI  and  ISO  TEST  CHART  No    2 


1.0 


I.I 


1.25 


*J  |2£ 

so    "^-^^ 
~       3.2 


V. 
I. 


136 


1.4 


'ill 

112.2 
2.0 

1.8 
1.6 


^     /APPLIED  IIVVIDE     Inc 


■  L?    Lost    M'Jin    btftf-- 
-  jchester.    New   fork.  i-r' 

16)    *82  -  0300  -  Phone 


2;U    IX  THE  FOOTSTEPS  -^F  XAPOLHoX 

hastonofl  to  the  church,  dunhed  to  the  l)clfry  ;in.l  traiMni  out 
tliroii^'li  thi'  grt'V  tlawii  the  t'liciuy's  lines. 

Thf  eiR'iny,  after  all,  IuhI  not  stolen  away  aixaiii  under  cover 
of  darkness,  and  the  real  i'.attle  of  i:ylau  was  on  in  full  fury, 
with  75,000  men  on  either  side.  While  the  Russians  were  try- 
in.'  to  pound  tli.'ir  way  around  the  Freneh  hd't,  Xapoleon  at- 
tempted to  turn  their  own  k'ft  and.  getting'  in  heliind  them. 
cut  them  off.  liut  a  tine  snow  blew  in  on  icy  blasts  from  the 
north  and  at  times  the  soldiers  could  not  see  twenty  feet  ahi'iul, 
while  the  melting  snow  so  moistened  the  primings  as  to  render 
manv  of  tlieir  iimskets  useless. 

At  the  height  of  the  blinding  storm,  Xapoleon  ordered  lu 
:^Iarshal  Augureau's  corps,  with  instructions  to  seize  a  lull  out 
of  the  town,  where  in  these  days  a  battle  monument  rises  anioiii.' 
the  tall  pines.  Although  ill  with  fever  and  tortured  l>y  rheu- 
matism, the  marshal,  unable  to  resist  the  sound  of  sti'ife,  was 
borne  on  a  sledge  to  the  battle  line.  There  he  was  lifted  to  tin- 
back  of  his  horse  and,  strapped  in  the  sad<lle,  he  dashed  for- 
ward in  a  furious  snow  s(inall.  Sud.lenly  the  snow  ceased  to 
fall,  and  Augur.'au's  l."),00()  men  found  themselves  eighty 
paces  from  a  great  Russian  battery,  which  swept  theni  with 
dense  sheets  of  case'  shot.  At  the  same  time  Russian  infantry 
were  raking  them  on  one  side  and  yelling  Cossacks  charging 
them  on  the  other.  Yet  the  ir),()00  rushed  upon  the  camion 
and  broke  the  artillery  line,  only  to  be  overwhelmed  at  last  by 
a  swarm  of  Cossacks  who  galloped  from  their  hiding  place  be- 
hind the  hill. 

Tn  twenty  minutes  the  corps  of  Augurcau  was  gone  from 
the  list  of  tiie  Grand  Army.  It  bad  been  shot  to  pieces  under 
the  eyes  of  Xapoleon,  as  he  watched  from  the  churchyard.  At 
evenfiig  roll  call  only  I^OOO  of  the  ir).00()  stood  to  be  eounteil. 
The"Cossacks  raced  over  their  fallen  foes,  galloped  uj)  i' 
churchyard  knoll  and  plunged  among  the  graves.  "Save  th' 
Emperor!"  rose  the  cry,  and  Marshal  Berthier  loudly  ••alhl 
for  the  imperial  horses.  Rut  the  Emperor  silenced  liini  witli 
a  glance  and,  without  moving  a  foot,  simply  exelaiuied,  ••\Mi:!t 
audacity!"     The  invaders  of  his  august  i)reseuce  aliH'ady  had 


p:vlai:  and  fiukdlaxd 


2;55 


ixli;iu--tcii  thctiisflvts  in  tlicir  darin<4  t-hargo  and  were  easily 


1  hack  l)v  the  eavalrv  of  the  (iuard. 


.Murat's  cavalry  with  their  12,000  sabres  now  flung  them- 
v.hi's  at  tilt-  iMicniy's  eciitre,  whiU'  Davoiit  pusiied  around  the 
Irft  of  the  Russians.  Tlie  Frencli  seemed  to  have  retrieved 
fhrir  luisliaps,  anil  at  four  o'clock  they  were  a{)parently  the 
vi-tnrs.  They  were  in  the  Russian  rear  and  tiie  batth'  was 
li.lirvi'd  to  he  over.  Hut  as  th(>  sun  was  setting,  the  head  of 
;i  I'lussian  eolumu.  wliicii  liad  been  hurrying  all  day  through 
■'  ■  ilccp  snow,  rusiicd  into  a  grove  of  birch  trt'cs.  Th-re  it 
f  I  upon  the  vangTiard  of  the  French  flanking  force  antl  cirove 
it  back  foot  by  foot  until  the  Russian  rear  was  clear  again. 
The  army  of  the  Czar  had  been  saved  by  the  Prussians. 

I'lir  the  first  time  in  ten  years.  Xapoleon  was  obliged  to  ae- 
ri  it  a  drawn  battle.  In  the  trampled,  blood-stained  snow, 
bMHKi  nien  lay  dead  and  ;50,00()  more  lay  wounded  among  the 
ihiiiKaniN  of  dead  horses,  a  frightful  sacrifice  without  a  gain. 
■Tlie  country  is  strewn  with  the  dead  and  wounded,"  Na- 
[Milion  wi'ote  to  Josephine,  in  a  tone  of  lamentation  as  he  sat 
ill  tile  salon  of  the  present-dav  S(iualid  tenement  house  of 
l-;>laii. 

The  French  survivors  passed  the  night  in  rolibing  their  own 
and  till'  Russian  dead  and  dying.  They  stole  from  the  sur- 
■-'Kus  while  they  Were  absorbed  in  their  humane  tasks.  They 
r\l\r(\  the  pockets  of  the  lifeless  and  the  helpless  living.  They 
ripped  off  the  gold  braid  and  jerked  otf  the  hoots  from  stricken 
"I'liiers.  They  tore  open  coffins  and  graves.  P^merson  says 
iii.it  half  of  .Xapoleon "s  soldiers  at  Eylau  were  thieves  and 
liurglars.  At  any  rate,  a  season  of  privation  had  bnitalised 
the  army  and  left  its  better  nature  winter-killed. 

When  morning  came  only  the  Cossacks  remained  before  the 
i"\vii  to  guard  the  retreat  of  the  Russian  army  to  Kiinigsberg. 
Ill  have  balked  and  escaped  the  (Ireat  Ca|)tain  was  victory 
•  I  I  111 'ill  for  the  foe,  and  the  Russians  and  Prussians  were  filled 
\^itli  rejoicin-jf  as  they  nuu'ched  away  from  the  bloody  scene. 

The  King  of  Prus.sia  unhesitatingly  rejected  the  moi-e  liberal 
'■  liiis   whicli    Xapoleon   now  offered.     Snitiing  victory    from 


236 


IX  TIIK  FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLEON 


afiir,  the  youii?  C/nr  viuiw  on  from  Pctrofirad  to  visit  the 
King  and  Louise  in  tlicir  rcti'rat  at  Mrmcl.  That  town,  whojie 
one  street  faces  tlie  sea.  tiirilled  with  added  pri(h>  in  the  pris- 
enee  of  an  imperial  personaire  as  well  as  of  royal  guests. 

As  Alexander  eml)raeed  Frederick  William,  ho  declared, 
"We  shall  never  fall  sin<_'ly ;  wc  fall  together  or  not  at  all." 
And  the  two  inonarchs  registered  a  vow  that  neitiier  would 
n^'.ke  peace  until  Napoleon  had  I  .'en  driven  beyond  the  Rhine, 
■which  is  a  march  of  S(H)  miles! 

With  the  coming  of  spring  tlie  war  was  renewed.  Xajioleon 
liad  built  up  his  army  t'^  a  total  strength  of  17r).(>00  men,  for 
he  liad  a  wide  front  to  cover.  Facing  him  were  120,000  Rus- 
sians and  I'russians.  Having  rested  and  found  food,  both 
arnnes  were  in  far  better  spirits  than  when  they  dragged  them- 
selves to  slaughter  at  Eyiau. 

A  French  force,  \uider  ^Marshal  Lefebre,  captured  the 
fortress  city  of  Dantzic  in  ^lay.  In  early  June,  the  main 
bodies  of  the  two  armies  came  into  a  frightfid  collision  at 
Ileilsberg.  But  the  decisive  battle  in  this  second  camp':i'-'ii 
occurred  on  a  hot  day  of  June  at  Friedland,  only  a  few  miles 
across  the  country  from  Eylau  and  a  little  more  than  thirty 
miles  from  Kiinigsberg.  The  pretty  village  of  Friedland,  with 
its  shady  streets  and  well  tended  gardens,  is  one  of  the  most 
awkward  battlefields  that  the  chances  of  war  ever  chose, 
perched  as  it  is  on  a  bluti"  and  hemmed  in  between  the  River 
Alle  on  one  side  and  a  creek  on  the  other. 

With  his  back  to  the  200-foot  river,  Benrigsen  was  pressing 
hard  ]\Iarshal  Lannes'  small  force  when,  at  noon.  Napoleon 
rode  upon  the  scene  and  (piickly  saw  that  he  could  catch  the 
Russians  in  the  tight  little  town.  He  reflected  that  it  was  the 
annivei'sary  of  Marengo  and  a  lucky  day  for  him.  Sittinir 
d()Wi\  in  a  grove  on  a  baronial  estate  at  the  edge  of  Friedland. 
where  the  present  baron  displays  the  site  of  Napoleon's 
kitchen  and  some  cannon  lialls  that  fell  among  the  trees,  he 
scheduled  his  nicely  laid  plans  for  trapping  the  Russian  bear. 
The  baron  recounts,  too,  the  story  of  a  gentle  rebuke  the  Em- 
peror gave  a  young  officer  who  dodged  as  one  of  the  balls 
whistled  over  his  head.     "My  friend,""  the  great  fatalist  said 


EYLAl'  AXn  FrxIKDLAND 


237 


to  the  youth,  "if  tjiat  hall  were  (h'stiiictl  for  you.  it  would  ho 
cii'taiii  to  iliid  ;>ou  though  you  were  to  burrow  100  iVct  uiuh'r 
the  ground." 

As  tlif  French  rcinfort'enients  hurried  up,  Bmnigsen  tried 
to  e.sc'ap<'  hy  erossin;?  tiie  river.  lint  tl  ■  fire  had  grown  so  liot 
ill  liis  rear  tliat  he  had  to  turn  and  aei'tpt  battle  in  earnest 
lit  live  o'eloek  in  tlie  at'tcriioon,  wlieu  (JO.OOO  soldiers  ol'  the 
(  /.ii-  hcuiin  to  wrestle  with  80,000  troops  of  Napoleon,  with  a 
.ilhigf  for  the  prize.  Soon  60.000  men  were  fighting  in  a  line 
diily  the  length  of  three  eity  blocks. 

.\'ey  luir'ed  his  force  through  the  tiret  and  second  Russian 
line,  oidy  to  be  driven  back  hy  the  Czar's  imperial  guard,  when 
Victor  pressed  through  the  retreating  ranks  and  smashed  the 
uiiulcd  Russians.  For  that  feat  Napoleon  pi'omptly  rewarded 
his  old  Toulon  comrade  with  a  mai*shars  baton. 

Friedland  was  now  in  flames  from  French  shells,  but  the 
iiiissians,  with  Slavic  stolidity,  fought  on  amid  the  Inirning 
Imildings  until  darkness  fell.  By  that  time,  Hetinigson  had 
withdrawn  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  A  lie  as  much  of  his 
army  as  he  could  save.  He  left  behind,  however,  20,000  dead, 
wounded  and  captives,  while  other  thousands  flung  themselves 
into  the  river. 

Sending  a  force  to  take  Konigsberg.  Napoleon  followed  the 
nrokeii  army  of  Bennigsen  until  he  had  driven  it  across  the 
Xi'inen.  l)y  whose  banks  he  sat  down  at  Tilsit  to  await  the  sur- 
render of  the  Czar. 


CTTAPTER  XXTX 


AT  T11,SIT 

I'^O-      AC.K    37 

TIIK  s\v  M'd  of  Nnpolfoii,  liaviiiir  in  nine  iiionths  cut  its 
Wiiy  lil\'r  a  scNtlir  I'l'diii  cud  to  etui  ot'  (Icnriaiiy.  his 
allied  lues  hoisted  the  white  tla^  in  the  niontii  of  .June. 
ISI17.  'I'o  signalise  the  suhuiissiou  of  tiie  C/ar.  the  coiuiuefiir 
cai'cfuily  dl•e^^e(l  the  staj^e  at  Tilsit,  and  a  I'Ui'e.  fai'  a\va>  .  little 
town  of  lit. 0(10  peoide.  Ivinjx  a  i'ew  iinles  upstfcani  fi'oni  the 
lijeak  shoi'es  of  tlie  P>altie,  thus  heeaine  the  .scene  of  the  most 
eclebrated  and  dfainatie  iiieetiut,'  of  nionarehs  since  the  royal 
inlerview  on  the  Field  of  the  Cloth  of  (lold. 

Tilsit  is  ajiproached  fi'oiu  the  west  over  a  plain  of  steadily 
thinniiif;  soil  and  poi)ulation.  wliei'e  solenni  storks  and  lonely 
wiudiiulls  make  the  landscape  all  th(  more  drear.  Farms  and 
<^vn'm  lieKis  ^ive  way  to  cattle  rauL'es  and  hay  lields,  and  these 
seem  ahout  to  surrender  at  last  to  send)  forests  and  sandy 
wastes,  when  there  rise  auainst  the  L:rey  sky  the  sm  ,kiuji:  fac- 
tory chinuieys  of  the  town,  wiiere  once  the  ("a'sar  of  the  west 
and  the  Ca-sar  of  the  east  divided  the  earth  hetween  them, 
\'  Idle  the  Kin^  and  <^ueen  of  i'russia  stood  hy  to  i)i<-k  up  the 
eriuuhs. 

However  cnule  a  stajri'  settiuir  the  Tilsit  of  I'll)  years  atro 
may  have  lieeii  for  the  trilded  staffs  of  two  empires,  the  Tilsit 
of  to  day  is  nut  an  unworthy  hack^round  for  the  idstorical  iiic- 
ture.  With  40. MOO  popidation,  with  avenues  as  hroad  aii'l 
leafy.  a<  v^ell  paved  and  well  swejit  as  any  Parisian  should 
expect,  with  siiady  s(iuares  and  ])re1ty  [tarks,  in  one  of  which 
stands  a  statue  of  Queen  Loinse;  with  trolley  oars  and  taxi- 
cabs,  tile  town  Wears  a  worldly  air  beeoniinfr  its  celebrity. 
The  Niemen.  across  which  th"  cheers  of  the  armies  of  Napoleon 
and  the  Czar  rolled  in  fraternal  irreeting,  flows  by  in  imposiu'-' 


AT  TILSIT 


2:;!> 


!.rr;iiltli.  i';il'ts  (if  ioLT-.  tloaliiif.'  imw  wliriT  ii  ci'iitiiry  aiio  tlic 
.!  (idcriil  III'  all  till'  U'li^sias  mrt  ami  t'uldrd  in  his  anus  ihi'  sou 
III'  the  Ki'Volutioii.  lirydiiil  tlir  ri\t'r.  spaiuu'd  by  two  'j:nat 
iiiodci'ii  liridf^rs,  (till'  (if  tliiMii  drdicatrd  to  the  iiiviiioi'y  ot" 
i,(iiiist',  lilt'  N'isitiii-  Iddk^  to  \sii('?-i'  the  casttTii  lidi'i/i.n.  twelve 
iiii'.es  away,  heiids  to  the  desolate  liduiidat'\-  cil'  UiiNsia,  t  lial  land 
df  udoom  ami  mystery. 

The  spaeious  three-story  stone  hduse.  wliieh  was  Napoleon's 
palace  and  the  seat  of  imperial  powei'  ior  two  weeks,  stands 
iipdii  one  of  the  prineipal  streets.  Within  it  the  Imsiness  of  a 
'I'li-tdi-,  a  pa{)er  han<rer  aud  a  dealer  in  |)ieture  post  cards  lias 
siieceeded  to  the  business  of  em|iire.  l'>nt  the  urns  al)o\'e  its 
ciTiiii-e  remain  to  assert  its  foi'mer  pi'etensions.  and  its  door- 
sti  |i.  by  which  Napoleon  forever  holds  the  hand  of  Queen 
i.diiise  in  the  faiinliar  pii-tiire,  still  abuts  upon  the  sidewalk. 

The  {'/ai'"s  house,  where  he  dwelt  a  near-by  iieii^ddiour  of 
ihe  French  Emperor  on  the  same  Deutscliestrasse.  lias  triveti 
V. .i\'  to  a  modern  building.  But  Louise's  house  stands  almost 
utiihani.'ed  a  few  sipuires  away  in  a  humbler  (piarter  of  the 
ti'wn.  betittiiif;  her  unha{)py  role  in  the  drama  of  Tilsit.  It 
u;is  and  still  is  the  miller's  house,  with  a  ^'i^t  mill  ne.\t  door. 
i'.iit  did  not  even  Fredei'ick  the  (ireat  have  to  put  up  with  a 
imll  at  tile  li'ate  of  Sans  Souci  ' 

Over  the  door  of  the  house  of  th(>  miller  of  Tilsit  is  a  bust 
•  if  Louise,  and  on  the  outer  wall  a  memorial  tablet.  In  the 
'rent  room,  one  tli^'lit  up,  is  her  ])arlour,  when'  hei'  first  i'ene- 
liiir  iiiatch  with  the  coiujueror  of  her  kingdom  took  place.  A 
iiiarlile  bust  of  her  in  a  corner  commemorates  now  that  most 
.iMxious  hour  in  a  period  crowded  with  an.xions  hours. 

Although  Tilsit  is  ot\'  the  tourist  path,  that  old  white  house 
'  y  the  mill  is  the  shrine  of  such  German  patriots  as  visit  the 
'dwn.  In  this  refuge  of  his  stout-hearted  great-grandmother 
from  the  disasters  that  for  a  time  overwhelmed  the  Ilohen- 
'djlerns,  Kaiser  William  11  has  sat  in  silent  revery. 

I>ut  the  house  of  Napoleon  is  not  the  goal  of  pilgrims.     It 
'ars  no  talilet,  and  its  site  is  not  even  indicated  on  the  niap 
of  the  local  guide  book. 

With  the  French  army  encamped  on  the  Tilsit  shoi'i'  of  the 


240 


IN  TIIK  KOOTSTKPS  OF  NAPOLEON 


Xicrncn  and  the  Czar's  on  the  opposite  sidr.  Napoleon  oi'dcri'd 
uu  iin]»t'rial  pavilion  to  lie  civctrd  on  a  raft,  and  this  straiiu'i- 
structure  was  tiioorctl  midst  ream,  with  the  French  and  Ku- 
sian  pennants  f1yin<r  al>o\e  it. 

On  tile  eleventh  day  after  the  nuit  at  Friedland,  tiic  armies 
of  France  and  Kussin  wei'e  drawn  up  on  tlieir  respective  shores, 
wiieii,  at  one  o'eloek.  the  two  Kmi)eror'^  appeared  on  eitiicr 
bank  and  entered  <,'aily  decorated  i)ai'j,'es,  Frederick  William 
standin;/  forlorn  in  the  crowd  of  spectators  that  lined  the  Kus- 
siaii  shore.  Napoleon  had  iu)t  invited  the  Kiii^',  whom  he  iuui 
scornfully  (IcscimIkhI  as  "110  more  than  an  aich'-dc-eamp"  of 
the  (.'zar,  and  wliom  he  dcs[)ised  for  his  incomj)etency  in  the 
conduct  of  a  war  lie  had  rashly  precii)itatcd. 

The  Emperors  iuiving  arrived  at  the  raft,  stepped  upon  the 
deck  of  tile  pavilion  simultaneously,  when  Alexander,  in  the 
view  of  the  leirions  of  two  empires,  liestowed  a  fraternal  kiss 
on  the  man  whom  he  had  ever  before  refused  to  salute  as  a 
brother  monarch.  "I  hate  the  Eniyrlish  as  nuicli  as  you  do." 
he  exclaimed,  acconlinj^^  to  a  Fi'cncb  report,  "and  1  will  second 
you  in  all  your  actions  against  them." 

"In  that  case,"  Napoleon  replied,  "everything  can  be  ar- 
ranged and  peace  is  already  made." 

Leavin<jf  their  attendants  outside,  the  Emperors  then  en- 
tered tile  pavilion,  where  the  two  childless  monarchs  sat  alone 
for  an  iiour  and  three  quarters  wliile  they  partitioned  tiic 
world  between  tliemsches,  for  Asia  as  well  as  Europe  seemed 
then  to  l)e  a  melon  rii)e  for  c^^ttin^^  Happily  neither  j)os- 
sessed  anytliing  tliat  the  otiier  coveted,  their  Ijoundaries  lying 
far  apart,  and  tiie  Russians  always  being  more  greedy  for  con- 
quests in  tile  east  than  in  tiie  west.  Napoleon  craftily  diverted 
Alexander's  attention  and  ambition  from  Europe.  Seizing 
upon  the  timely  news  that  a  revolution  had  lately  taken  i)lacc 
in  Turkey,  lie  assured  the  Czar  it  was  a  decree  of  Providence 
that  tiie  Turkisli  Empire  could  no  longer  exist. 

As  always,  linwever,  wlien  nations  sit  down  to  feast  on 
Turkey,  the  two  Emperors  could  not  agree  which  should  have 
the  Constantino]de  slice.  "I  could  have  shared  tile  Turkish 
Empire  with  Russia,"  Napoleon  said  in  after  years,  "lint  Con- 


:.Mi'i;i!oi!  ()!■   Till    \\>sr  AM)  mi:    I:mi'i  mciu  m     hik   Kast   .\Il;i.ii\(; 

O.V    Tin;    ItAl  T    Ai     TllsIT 


AT  TILSIT 


241 


staiitinople  always  saved  it.  Russia  wanted  it  and  I  would  not 
gnint  it.     Wlio^'vcr  holds  it  can  ^'ovcrn  the  world." 

When  till'  KnqxTors  ciiiiH'  out  of  the  pavilion,  tho  Czar,  an 
iiiiprfvsioniiblc,  almost  hysterical  youu^  man.  had  cotnpletcly 
pas.sed  under  the  magic  of  Napoleon,  "i  never,"  he  said, 
"li;iil  more  prejudices  afjainst  any  one  than  afjainst  him.  lint 
they  have  all  disajipoared  like  a  dream.  Would  that  I  hail 
met  him  earlier!" 

While  the  two  EinperoiN  continued  fondly  to  caress  each 
other,  Frederick  William  remained  a  silent  and  lutruhrious 
looker-on  at  the  festivities,  which  inchiiied  grand  military  re- 
viius  and  dinnere  of  Parisian  excellence  on  gold  plate  brought 
from  the  Tuileries.  No  menials  served  the  feast,  Init  otTicers 
of  the  imperial  household  were  the  waiters,  swords  at  their 
sides  and  every  seam  gold-laced,  with  Grand  Marshal  Duroc 
staiidiiiiT  in  the  attitude  of  a  headwaiter. 

Napoleon  parried  every  attempt  of  the  Czar  to  return  the 
(iiiuiers,  because,  it  is  .said,  he  was  unwilling  to  run  the  risk  of 
litiiig  poisoned.  There  is  a  tale  of  his  holding  a  cup  of  tea  in 
liis  hand  throughout  a  call  on  Alexander  and  never  venturing 
to  taste  it. 

Sometimes  he  rained  all  manner  of  questions  upon  his  guests. 
Once  his  eye  surveyed  the  long  row  of  buttons  on  the  side  of 
Frederick  William's  grey  pantaloons,  a  garment  that  was  only 
Ihen  coming  into  use.  "Are  you  obliged  to  button  all  those 
liiittons  every  day?"  he  asked  the  King.  "Do  you  begin  at 
the  top  or  bottom?"  Again  he  would  turn  upon  the  Czar 
and  overwhelm  him  with  questions  he  could  not  answer: 
"How  much  does  the  sugar  duty  bring  you?"  "WTiat  does 
your  sale  of  pelts  and  furs  amount  to  in  a  year?"  "Do  you 
make  money  or  lose  money  on  this  or  that  feature  of  your  ad- 
ministration?" Such  a  catechism  was  likely  to  embarrass  a 
man  horn  to  rule,  and  who  had  not  been  obliged,  like  the 
French  Emperor,  really  to  learn  the  trade.  In  other  moods 
tie  turned  monologist,  and  moved  the  listening  monarchs  to 
ailiniration  and  wonder  by  the  seemingly  boundless  range  and 
ilipth  of  his  knowledge  of  the  commerce  iii  tlie  many  countries 


,<.] „,]  ;. 


u:_ ;. 


212 


IN  Tin:  i'o(»Ts-i'i:i's  oi'  nai-omiox 


It  \v;is  jit'tii-  llic  (  ntil'i  ri'iK'c  at  Tii^it  li.iij  lin  ii  in  |l^lli,'r■'>^ 
iiinri'  liiaii  a  \url<  w  Ik  n  J/nuiM'  liiially  wa-^  priNuail'il,  "aiiiiil  a 
tllllU^all(l  tears."  htr  |]li\si(ian  tells  us.  to  make  lier  a|>i)ear 
iiiief  there.  "(l(i(l  kiHius  uliat  a  str.i^rt^le  this  lias  cost  me." 
.siie  (■(iiiliih'd  to  he!'  iliaiv.  "  \i-\  this  Imrd  tliiiii,'  i>  i'ei|uire(i  dl' 
lUL',  and  1  ha\e  j.'iii\\n   n^eil  to  saeriiicint,'  myself." 

Arri\iiii;  from  .Mem,  1  al  lour  in  the  afternoon,  she  awaited 
the  painful  eefemoiiy  (d'  .Xapolion 's  eall  al  the  miller's  house 
'if  he  will  ^ive  nil'  iiaek  a  vilhitic  or  two,  m,\  ei'rand  will  \\.<; 
ha\e  heiti  in  vain,"  she  said  to  iier  court. 

One  of  the  ladies  in  waiting,'  who  received  .Xapoleon  at  tl.' 
dniir-  has  drawn  with  ill-eoiieeah  d  |)i-ejudi(  e  an  untiatteriiiu' 
portrait  of  iiiin:  "  K.xeessively  iitrly,  with  a  fat,  swollen,  sal- 
low  faee :  \rry  eiwpulent,  l)ein<_'  short  and  entirely  without 
ti^'ur-e-  his  irreat  eyes  I'oll  <_'|iiomily  ai'ound  :  the  expression  of 
Ids  featui'es  is  se\.ii'  and  he  looks  the  incarnation  of  fate  ;  only 
his  mouth  is  well  shajjcd  and  his  teeth  are  ^'ood."  'I  he  lady 
did  admit  that  '"he  was  extreiinly  ])olile,"  and  l.,uuise  herself 
has  said  that  he  wore  the  "head  of  Ca'sar." 

Uravely  piittinjr  on  her  most  wiiisoint'  niaiuier,  the  (^ueeii 
took  the  hand  of  her  pursuer  and  led  him  to  a  window  in  the 
])arloiir,  where  they  stood  and  talked  foi-  an  hour.  In  the 
course  of  the  incvilahle  conventionalities,  which  ranjrt'<l  from 
literature  to  hotan.v.  she  asked  him  how  he  liked  the  northerly 
climate  of  Kast  I'russia  and  he  answered,  "The  l-"i-en(di  soi- 
<lier.  madamc.  is  seasoned  to  all  climates."  Then  in  his  md-t 
soothiiiLT  tones  he  asked,  "  How  could  you  think  of  nud<in.ir  wiU' 
on  me.'"  Louise  happily  fashioned  her  rcjily  to  remimi  him 
that  I'ru.ssia  had  not  always  heen  uiieiiual  to  France:  "Sin', 
we  may  he  pardoned  for  having  built  upon  the  fame  of  Freder- 
ick the  (ireat 1" 

Approaching  her  real  mi.ssion,  the  Queen  said:  "Sire,  I  am 
a  wife  and  mother,  and  it  is  by  those  titles  I  elaim  your  inter- 
vention on  behalf  of  Prussia.  The  King  attaches  more  iiiipor- 
tance  to  the  pinvinee  of  Magdeburg  than  to  any  other  on  thi 
left  bank  of  the  I'^lbe  wliieb  your  fmpei'ial  .Ala.jesty  tak'es  finm 
him.  I  ajipeal  to  vour  generous  lieai't;  it  is  from  it  thai  1  ask 
a!Kl-x|M"t  al::-p--  insue." 


AT    ML -II 


24:1 


"Miiiliiiiii',  1  sli.ill  cTi-t.iiiil V  lie  vtvy  liiippv — ./lit,"  arm  lu; 
oast  an  a  liiiirinjj:  ^'lainc  ,ii  In  r,  "you  urc  urariii^'  .1  Mipi  r') 
(IifssI     Wliri'c  was  it    iiiadi?" 

"Ill  I'nissia,  Sire." 
At    r.ir-<lair'      At    liiiliii.'      1)()  tiny    make  crrpc  in  your 
fai'torit's  too/" 

"No,  Sirv,  but,"  tlir  (^in-cti  p.rsistcd  hi  rt'tiiriiiii'^'  'o  tin' 
main  sulijt'ct,  "N'our  .Maj<'^ty  docs  nut  say  a  word  of  the  inter 
CNta  tliat  alone  orciijiy  my  tlioiijlils  at  the  lucsnit  nionniit. 
wlii'ii  I  am  lio|)iii^'  to  win  Ir  'iii  yim  a  h.ippiiT  cxistiiicc  I'or  ail 
vlio  aiT  (liar  to  rnr.  Arr  uc  to  talk  aiiuiit  fashions  at  siidi  u 
liiiif?  Vour  Imperial  Majesty's  lieart  is  too  nohle;  it  unites 
with  other  (pialities  too  exaltid  a  eharaeter  to  be  insensible  to 
Miy  sutV'rinirs. " 

While  l.ouise  was  in  the  midst  of  lier  appeal  to  his  sense  of 
justice,  to  his  emotions  of  mercy,  to  Ins  eonseieiice,  and  just 
as  hei"  anxious  eyes  were  detecting  some  siu'iis  of  rdentini,^  in 
Napoleon's  countenaiiee,  hei'  lon^'-faced  husband  entered  the 
leein,  darkening;  it  with  liis  cold  and  silent   melancholy. 

"The  Kiii^'  came  in  the  nick  of  time."  Napoleon  lauirhin'_'ly 
assured  the  C/ar  when  they  next  met.  "if  he  liad  stayed 
jiway  half  an  iiour  h^iejiT  I  fear  I  should  have  found  inysidf 
pniiaisin^  the  (^ueeii  aiiythiiif.'."  i?ut  under  cover  of  his  ^reet- 
iu<;  to  Frederick  William  lie  made  his  adieiix  to  Louise — and 
cscafied  with  Ma^'deburg! 

When  she  eame  to  dine  with  him  in  the  eveniuf^  lie  went  out 
iipnii  the  sidewalk  to  welcome  her  and  escort  her  into  his  house, 
lb-  was  c(pially  polite  at  the  table  and  most  Hatteriiig  in  his 
ii'tentidiis  to  his  guest,  the  one  woman  in  the  company.  After 
lie  had  h(l  her  out  to  lier  carriage  and  bade  her  L^ood  niu'lit, 
lie  s;iid  to  the  C/ar,  "The  (^ueeo  is  a  charming  woman,  whose 
villi  iiiatehes  lu  r  face.  In.stead  of  robbing  her  of  a  crown,  I 
niiu'lit  be  tempted  to  lay  one  at  her  feet."  While  Alexander 
was  hastening  to  eongratuhite  the  Queen  on  her  coiupiest,  how- 
eve.  Napoleon  was  saying  to  Talleyrand,  "]\Iagdeburg  is 
worth  a  dozen  Queens  of  i'russia!" 

.\fter  his  experience  with  them.  Napoleon  did  not  trust 
i- icderiek  William  and  iiis  court.     Tiioy  had  been  runniug 


244 


IN  THE  FOOTSTEIVS  OF  NAl'OLKON 


with  the  hare  and  hunting'  with  tiic  hounds  for  ten  or  twelve 
years.  First  when  he  was  Consul  thvy  had  j  >ined  liim  in 
desiioiliug  Austria,  and  next  tliey  made  ready  to  jump  on  his 
baek  wlule  he  was  lacing  Austi'ia  and  Itussia  at  Austerlitz. 
The  nionieiit  he  was  victorious  there,  they  sacrificed  tlicir  swoiii 
fdlics  and  hij^an  to  barter  with  iiini  ai^'jiin,  but  oidy  to  turn 
xipon  him  once  more.  II  '  )iad  licen  vainly  proffering  them 
terms  ol'  peace  throughout  the  eampaign  of  l!S()G-()7.  but  they 
rejected  liis  atlvances  and  threw  themselves  into  the  arms  of 
tlie  C/ar,  thus  bringing  on  a  tei'rible  winter  eampaign  that 
took  him  lOUU  miles  from  his  eaj)ital. 

It  was  a  maxim  of  Frederick  tlie  CJreat,  "Never  maltreat  an 
enemy  by  halves."  Now  th.u  Najjoleon  had  Prussia  down  he 
dared  not  let  her  up.  He  sternly  inforn..'d  the  King  the  day 
after  the  interviews  witli  Louise:  ''I  do  not  mean  that  i'rus- 
sia  shall  again  be  a  po\s>'r  to  weigh  in  tlie  political  balance  of 
Europe."  Frederick  William  grew  red  of  face  and  Napoleon 
livid,  in  the  course  of  the  stormy  talk  that  lasted  three  houi's. 

That  black  day  for  Prussia  ended  with  puother  dinner  at  tlie 
house  of  the  French  Emperor.  It  was  a  solemn  feast,  with 
the  Queen  sunk  in  gi'ief,  the  King  still  flusiied,  Napoleon  full 
of  anger,  and  Alexander  vainly  trying  to  smooth  the  troubled 
waters.  All  alike  avoided  the  one  subject  of  their  thoughts, 
the  dismemb  'rment  of  the  kinu:doni  of  Fr  derick  the  Great. 
Only  as  the  (^ueen  was  leaving  did  she  venture  to  refer  to  the 
matter.  "Sire,"  she  said,  "after  the  conversation  we  had  to- 
gether yesterday,  after  all  the  kind  things  Your  ^Majesty  said 
to  me,  I  left  you  believing  I  was  to  owe  you  our  happiness,  the 
liappine.ss  of  my  country  and  my  children.  To-d.;;,'  all  ray 
ho[)es  are  gone,  and  it  is  with  very  dill'erent  feelings  I  take  my 
dej)arture. " 

By  the  treaties  of  Tilsit,  the  Czar  pledged  himself  to  offer 
his  raediatioa  to  England  with  a  view  to  inducing  her  to  recog- 
nise the  ecpiality  of  all  tlags  ;it  sea.  Ilis  eft'orts  for  peace  fail- 
ing, he  promised  to  become  the  ally  of  Nnpoleon  in  coercing 
Sweden,  Denmaik,  and  Porfugiil  to  close  their  harbours  against 
England  and  thus  leave  not  a  port  for  a  British  ship  on  the 
coasts  of  continental  Eurojie. 


AT  TILSIT 


245 


With  tlie  oasy  sense  of  honour  cluirartcristic  of  princes, 
Al'  Xiuuh'r  accepted  in  return  a  miseralile  little  strip  ol'  Polish 
sdil  tiiat  Napoleon  had  taken  from  Alexander "s  sworn  friend, 
I'lvilcrick  ^Villial^,  whom  the  Czar  really  had  seduced  into  eon- 
liiiiiin^'  a  disastrous  wiir  after  the  fall  of  15fi-lin.  IIi'  received 
also  a  Vii^nie  hut  i,'litterin<?  ])ermission  to  steal  Finland  from  the 
Swedes  and  European  Turkey  from  the  Sultan— with  the  ex- 
crplion  of  Constantinoiilc  ! 

Merely  as  "a  testimonial  of  respect"  for  the  Czar,  Napoleon 
restored"  to  Prussia  half  of  her  10,000,000  suhjeets.  Prussian 
I'liland  was  formed  into  tlie  (Jraiid  Duchy  of  Warsaw  uniler 
I  lie  sovereij:rnty  of  the  Kin<?  of  Saxony,  whose  alliance  Na- 
poleon had  won  after  the  Battle  of  Jena.  The  preat  Prussian 
fortress  of  :\Iaj:dehur<jr  and  all  the  rest  of  the  Prussian  terri- 
tory west  of  the  Kiver  FJhe  was  added  to  Jerome  iionaparte's 
ic  w  kintrdom  of  Wistphalia.  or  to  Louis  Bonaparte's  kinj:dom 
of  Holland.  ^Moreover,  Fi'cderick  Willia'U,  now  a  mere  vassal 
(if  ihe  Freiu'h  Empire,  luid  to  tind  soinewliere  more  than 
>:;iM)00.000  to  I'einihurse  the  con(iueror  for  the  cost  of  the  war. 
I'liTil  he  found  it,  Berlin  and  all  his  preat  fortresses  were  to 
!■- main  in  pawn,  with  the  French  army  continuing  to  occupy 
thoiu. 

Louise  returned  to  Memel,  by  whose  lonely  Baltic  shore  she 
Was  to  pass  many  long  and  sorrowful  months.  While  waiting 
t'l.  10  for  the  evacuation  of  Berlin  and  the  restoration  of  her 
t  ;ipital  and  her  home,  she  and  the  royal  family  of  Prussia  were 
iv'ineed  to  plainer  fare  than  some  of  the  villagers.  Servants 
W'  re  dismissed  and  hor.ses  sold.  The  service  of  gold  plate,  a 
tivasured  heirloom  of  the  Ilohenzollerns,  was  melted  down 
:><:•]  eoined  into  money  for  the  bankrupt  treasury  of  tne  king- 
i!  ill.  Louise  even  parted  with  her  diamonds.  But  she  kept 
i  •  r  peai'ls,  "for  pearls  betoken  tears,  and  I  have  shed  so  many 

of  tlielll." 

Ii  was  not  until  Christmas  week  of  1809.  after  an  ab.-ence 
of  luoie  than  thi'ee  years,  that  Louise  returned  to  her  capital. 
P'Ut.  as  her  pastor  tells  us.  the  sparkle  in  her  eyes  did  not  come 
'  "k  with  lur  and  on  her  chei'k  there  were  now  wnite  roses 
iiiNte.:iil  nt"  red. 


246 


IN  TIIK  FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLEON 


Wliile  Prussia  was  yet  sunk  in  the  deptlis,  the  Qucon  fouml 
rcU'cist'  iroiu  Iut  too  iiravy  sorrows.  In  llie  summer  of  1^10 
and  in  tlic  thirty-liftli  year  of  Iut  life,  the  King  closed  the 
eyes  "whieli  hail  so  faithfully  li-rhted  lip  his  dark  path." 
Seven  of  the  nine  ehihlreii  Louise  had  l)orue  in  sixteen  years 
(,f  wifehnod  survived  her.  The  eldcNt  was  to  reiy:n  as  Kinj; 
Frederick  William  TV,  ami  on  liis  death  to  be  succeeded  by  the 
second  son,  William  L  while  a  dau<>:hter,  as  the  wife  of  Nich- 
olas I,  was  to  become  the  Czarina  of  Russia. 

The  wasted  body  was  laid  to  rest  anu)iig  the  pines  in  the 
park  of  the  palace* of  Charlotteiihurg,  that  now  popidous  suli- 
urh  of  Berlin.  Her  eflijj:y,  carved  by  the  celebrated  sculi)tor 
Ranch  out  of  Carrara  marbh'  as  white  and  pure  as  her  woman's 
soul,  reclines  upon  her  sarc0))hau'us,  after  havin^^  been,  like 
herself,  a  prey  to  war.  For  while  it  was  on  its  voyage  from 
Italy  aboard  a  Britisli  m.'i'chantnuin,  the  statue  was  seized  liy 
an  American  pi'ivateer  in  the  War  of  1S12,  but  only  to  be  re- 
captured by  a  I5ritish  frigate  which  carried  it  in  safety  to  its 
destination. 

Though  the  mortal  Queen  slept  in  her  grave,  her  dauntless 
spirit  went  marchnig  on.  a  lamp  unto  the  feet  of  her  people. 
AVhen  threescore  years  had  passed,  an  old  man  came  to  kmel 
in  prayer  by  her  tomb.  It  was  on  that  day.  July  19,  LSTO, 
the  sixtieth  iiiuiiversary  of  her  death,  that  the  Franco-Pnissiau 
War  began,  a  conflii't  which  history  was  to  charge  to  a  Bona- 
parte Empress  as  it  had  chai'ged  an  earlier  conflict  to  a  Ilohen- 
zollern  Queen. 

The  aged  man  in  the  mausoleum  at  Charlottenburg  was 
William  I,  King  of  Prussia,  and  he  liad  •■ome  on  a  filial  i>il- 
grinuige  to  invoke  the  inspiration  of  his  mother's  memory  as 
he  was  setting  out  upon  his  avenging  nuirch  to  Paris  and  to 
the  realisation  of  Louise's  vision,  a  union  of  the  Germanic  na- 
tions in  a  German  Empire. 


CHAPTER  XXX 


NAPULKUN'S  MARSHALS 


THE  marshals  wlio  surrounded  and  supported  the  throne 
of  Xapok'ou  form  a  remarkable  exhibition  of  the  pro- 
ductive power  of  demoeraey. 

Although  the  Emperor  flattered  liimself  that  he  made  his 
iiiiiishals  out  of  mud.  tiiose  eagles  really  were  luitehed  out  of 
tlir  fertile  egg  of  the  Kevolutiou.  The  Republic,  not  the  Em- 
jiiiv,  was  their  opportunity.  Every  one  of  them  already  liad 
Willi  rank  l)efore  serving  under  Na])oleon.  Three  amouij  hem 
were  colonels,  four  brigadiers,  and  one  was  a  chief  of  staft", 
while  full  fifteen  had  risen  to  the  high  distinction  of  division 
iMiiiiiiianders  ere  he  became  the  fountain  of  honour. 

All  but  five  of  that  brilliant  company  were  sons  of  the  peo- 
\Ar.  and  all  but  seven  started  at  the  bottom  as  couunon  soldiers. 
Miiiat's  father  was  a  country  tavern  keeper,  Ney's  a  coo[)er, 
Aiiirureau's  a  mason,  Lefebre's  an  enlisted  soldier,  ]\Iassena's 
a  taiHier  and  soap  boiler,  Oudino^'s  a  brewer,  .Maedonald's  a 
Siotch  crofter.  Suchet's  a  small  nuuuifacturei,  Lannes'  a  poor 
III!  I  liaiiic.  wiiile  Jourdan  and  Bessieres  were  sons  of  country 
;  hysicians,  Heriuidotte,  Soult,  Moncey,  and  Brune  of  country 
lawyers  or  notaries,  and  Mortier  and  St.  Cyr  of  little  farmers. 
ilcrtliier's  father  was  an  office  holder  of  motlest  rank  aiul  oidy 
Davout.  Marniont,  Grouchy,  Poniatowski,  and  Perignon  were 
iif  noble  origin. 

Nunc  but  Davout,  ]\Iarmont,  and  St.  Cyr  ever  liad  seen  the 
in>i(le  of  a  military  school.  All  cxeei't  Berthier,  Davout,  Mac- 
iloiiald,  .Marmnnt,  (irouchy,  Perignon,  and  I'oniatowski  liad 
■iaitnl  in  the  trade  of  war  with  the  musket  of  a  privaie. 

.Ma>^sena  was  content  to  serve  in  the  ranks  fourteen  years, 
■■■)'\    Bernadotte    nine    yonr-^    v.-ithojit 

■247 


VI  CI  11  rr 


.,ii/> 


24S 


IX  THE  FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLEON 


^fiuicy.  Soiilt,  in  suite  of  a  rlub  foot,  was  accepted  by  the 
enlisting  oflicers  and  well  content  with  a  scrircant  "s  chevron. 
Lannes  ran  away  from  a  dyer  to  wlunu  he  had  l)een  aiipnu- 
tired,  and  went  into  the  army,  bnt  was  tnrned  out  as  a  person 
of  insul)ordinate  *empei-,  while  Oudinot  after  two  years  of 
soldierinj,'  preferred  a  life  among  his  father's  beer  vats.  Ney, 
on  the  other  hand,  chose  to  be  a  hussar  rather  than  the  coal 
miner  his  family  wished  him  to  be.  For  the  better  part  of 
twenty  years,  Augureau  was  a  wandering  soldier  of  fortune, 
serving  in  the  a.-mies  of  France,  Iiussia,  Prussia,  and  Nai)lc- 
^loncey  alone  aii.ong  those  future  marshals  hidden  in  the  ranks 
of  King  Louis'  a -my  did  win  a  captaincy,  but  only  after  twen- 
ty-three years  o ;'  service,  while  Victor  saw  ten  and  Lefebrc 
sixteen  years  of  .service  without  a  conimi.ssion. 

The  Revolution  came  and  the  aristocratic  froth  wr.s  blown 
off  at  a  breadth  ;  the  pressure  of  caste  was  lifted  from  the  army, 
and  merit  creamed  to  the  top.  Privates  were  transforincd 
into  colonels,  and  sergeants  into  generals  in  a  month  of  cam- 
paigning.    Every  nuin  quickly  found  his  true  level. 

It  was  a  wonderful  example  of  what  democracy  can  do. 
If  the  civil  life  of  France  had  been  democratized  as  the 
army  was.  the  Empire  might  never  have  risen.  If  the  Kevo- 
hition  had  gone  to  the  people  for  its  political  leaders  as  well 
as  for  its  army  lead(>rs.  if  the  doors  had  been  thrown  open  as 
freely  tc  civil  as  to  nnlitary  talent,  the  Republic  might  have 
been  saved. 

But  while  the  republican  armies  under  the  leadership  of 
men  vho  had  sprung  from  the  lowest  ranks  were  conqueriiii: 
the  mai'tial  aristocracies  of  Europe,  the  politicians  of  the  revo- 
lutionary epoeh  were  all  drawn  from  the  old  ruling  classes. 
The  Repul)lic,  trium[)hant  abroad,  perished  at  home  under  the 
feebh'  and  seKish  rule  of  ex-n(»bl  n,  ex-clci'gymen,  ajul  lawyers. 
It  was  not  the  sword,  but  the  statesmanship  of  Napoleon  that 
France  ncided  and  invoked  when  slie  surrendered  to  his  mas- 
tery. 

Witii  the  fall  of  the  Republic,  the  democracy  of  the  army 
was  lost.  When  the  Corsican  artilleryman  seized  for  himself 
liic  bcv  jure  01  empire,  ne  rewarded  and  rueuufiit'd  his  euui- 


NAPOLEON'S  MARSHALS 


241) 


Ii;,iii<iiis  ill  iiniis.  the  one  tiiiic  privati's  ami  sergeants.  l)y  plac- 
i'i._'  III  tlii'ii"  liamls  the  liatuiis  (if  marshals  of  l''raiici'.  Crfatiii^ 
;,i  iiiKT  fourtt'cM  active  marshals  and  tlatti'riiiL;-  fniir  old  L'rii- 
,  :;;1>  of  the  Kevoliitiun  with  tlif  titk-  of  hoiioiii'ary  marshals, 
hr  ilistrihuted  in  all  twenty-six  batons  ii.  tho  course  of  the 

i;i;ipil't'. 

[,(ivc  of  country  no  longer  being  potent  to  inspire  df\  --.tinii. 
iir  fiaiikly  appealed  to  jx'rsoiial  selfishness  as  the  incentive 
:n  ..I'vire.  '-In  amiiitioii."  be  said,  "is  to  be  found  the 
ciiicf  motive  force  of  humanity,  and  a  man  ])Uts  forth  bis  best 
Iiouirs  in  proi)ortion  to  bis  liopes  of  advancement."  P>ut  am- 
l.iti.)ii.  once  aroused,  iirvev  is  satistied.  Tiie  moi'e  it  lias,  the 
iimiv  it  vaiits.  Mere  batons  did  not  long  suflice  the  marshals, 
whii  I'himoui'ed  for  more  and  yet  more. 

N.itiirally  men  arc  not  content  to  serve  a  throne  as  cheaply 
a>  tliry  will  serve  a  people,  that  is  to  say,  serve  th.-mselves, 
Tlir  L'cuerals  of  the  Fi-encb  Republic  were  happy  with  .tSOdO 
a  .war.  while  the  American  Republic  has  put  ai'iiiics  in  the  tield 
as  large  as  those  enrolled  under  the  Empire  of  Napoleon,  and 
\vt  never  has  found  it  necessary  to  pay  its  g'-eatest  generals 
inniv  than  $L'),.')()0  a  year. 

When  the  title  deed  to  Franco  bad  been  made  out  anew  in 
the  name  of  one  man  ar.d  the  nation  bei-ame  the  patrimony  of 
his  heirs,  the  peasant  marshals  soon  luul  to  be  app'  ised  with 
ii  ivilitary  titles  and  estates  that  they  could  transmit  to  their 
rliildreii.  The  Emperor,  therefore,  established  an  aristocracy 
with  his  marshals  for  its  pillars. 

<  iiiee  he  bad  proclaimed  the  Empire  and  set  U])  a  throne,  this 
-t.  p  may  have  been  a  necessity,  as  it  surely  was  a  pleasure  for 
Napoleon,  lie  was  always  glad  to  share  bis  fortinies  with  those 
aieiind  him,  and  now  be  opened  wide  bis  bantls  and  ra'ncd 
niles  and  riches  in  a  torrent.  lie  scattered  abroad  in  ten 
years  more  titular  honours  than  ever  fell  from  another  throne 
ill  lno,  creating  4S,0(,»0  chevaliers  of  the  Legion  of  Honour, 
biiii)  barons,  ;itS8  counts,  :]1  dukes,  and  4  princes. 

With  each  patent  of  nobility,  be  made  a  gift  enabling  the 
IV,  ipient  to  support  his  title,     lint  be  iirudently  took  care  not 


imrileii  liie  r  reucu  ia.\pa^\ers  wiin  me  ui^iveej 


t    v^ii.    lie.     iiK 


250 


IX  TIIH  FOOTSTEPS  OF  XAIN  )Li:().\ 


mad..  .-instcKTacy.  1 1,.  ,|i,i  not  wntur.'  to  .•l,alU-ii-,:  the  dor- 
inaiit  ivpul.licaniMn  of  tlic  cMinlry  In  di'awin.,'  fvcn  the  h:w 
titles  from  Frai.rr.  (>ii  tlic  contniry,  h,.  ,i,v\v  upon  ooiKiUctv,! 
lands  for  his  ducal  iiainrs.  tli,.  niarsliak  .iftm  heinj;  (.!inol.l,.,| 
In-  titles  that  recalled  to  French  pri.h-  victories  on  aTieu  baltl,- 
tields. 

•Just  as  it  was  his  practice  to  (piarter  his  annv  on  forei^ner^ 
ami  make  it  e„st  the  p.^ople  of  France  as  little  as  possihle,  L 
quartered  his  iiohility  on  foivi^m  eountries.  He  distrihiitd 
amon^'  his  military  men  some  .1<r,.()(l(),()()()  tjuit  lie  brought  bark 
Irom  his  Fnissian  eampai^ni,  and  besides  lie  hestow.-d  Cpon  tliv 
marshals  and  their  heirs  foivver  a  tixe.l  percenta-:e  of  thr 
yearly  revenues  of  crown  domains  wrested  from  eoiKiuemi 
soverei-ns  and  of  ancient  liefs  iu  Italy,  Dalmatia,  Poland,  and 
(jermany. 

Laiines  re.vived  at  one.-  .^250,000  in  eash  and  .+G5,()00  a  rear' 
Davout  -i^GO.OOO  in  cash  and  nearly  $4U,()()0  a  vear;  Bertliicr 
j;  On.OOU  in  cash  and  *SO,UUU  a  year;  Xey  .$(J(),OUU  in  cash  aiul 
n-Km)  a  year,  and  thus  the  donations  ran-eil.  From  tiin. 
to  time  they  were  enlarged  as  fresh  rewards  were  won  umil 
the  most  fortunate  drew  .$2r)().()(lO  a  yi^ar. 

'•I'illa-e  not,"  the  Emi.eror  abjured  them.  "I  will  give 
you  more  than  you  can  tak.-."  His  benefactions  fell  upon  the 
entire  army,  nicluduig  the  privates,  every  rank  receiving  its 
share.  ° 

It  was  the  Emperor's  boast  that  he  made  giants  out  of  dwarfs 
among  his  marshals,  but  it  is  equally  true  that  in  a  few  cases 
lie  made  dwarfs  out  of  giants.  His  genius  develop.'.l  the  les.s.r 
men  but  arrested  the  development  of  the  larirer  natures  The 
former  shone  m  his  reflected  glory,  but  the  latter  languished 
HI  his  shadow.  Thos."  fitted  only  to  obey  climbed  to  fame  on 
his  shoulders,  while  those  capaiile  of  command  lost  their  native 
indei)eiidence. 

••1  alone  know  what  I  want  done."  he  gave  all  his  marshals 
to  understand.  "The  Emperor,"'  his  chief  of  staff  announced 
to  them,  --has  no  need  of  adviee  or  of  anv  one  acting  on  liis 
own  responsibility.  No  one  knows  his  thoughts ;  it  is  our  dutv 
to  obey. 


NAPOLHOX'S  MARSHALS 


251 


Niipdli'on  could  add  iiotliiii^r  to  the  .itatiirf  of  .\Iassona.  Soiilt, 
D.ivoiit,  iiiid  Siu'liit,  lioni  liadcrs  whom  he  h-d  until  their 
:  nurr  of  initiative  was  wcakiricd.     Not  that  they  wonhl  have 

I  II  I'eally  great  in  aiy  iir.imistances;  yrt  tlp'y  nii<rht  have 
li'cn  strou^'er  but  for  his  ovi'rwhflMiiii<j  strengtli. 

On  the  other  liand,  marshals  like  Miirat,  Xcy,  Bcrthier,  Le- 
;  '  II'.  Auirureau,  Hessiei'cs,  v/ere  perhaps  oidy  ordinary  men, 
..nil  with  soiui'  extraordinary  (piality  which  Xapoh'on  knew 
lii)\v  to  emjiloy  without  ^uliVriiiL''  from  the  (•onsr(|Uenees  of 
llnir  (let'eets  and  theii'  illdialanced  diaraetei's.  For  he  was 
'  o[  afi'aid  of  the  wildrst  trenius,  but  was  eontident  that  he 
niild  bridle  and  ride  it. 

■'1  know  the  depth  and  draft  ol  all  my  <jr<'ncrals, "  he  said. 
Tiiis  one  was  stupid,  that  one  mad,  this  one  was  an  ass,  that 
Mill'  a  ti?er ;  this  one  wa.s  too  slow,  tliat  one  too  swift ;  this  one 
had  no  nerve,  that  one  had  no  in-udenee.  But  when  yoki'd 
tiiL'ctlier  and  <ruided  and  goacicd  by  the  master  hand,  those 
^MiiiiLTrly  as.sorted  marshals  of  the  Kmpire  were  suvli  a  team 
!-  iirvrr  has  been  matched  in  the  amials  of  war. 

The  Emperor  rejoiced  in  fultilling  his  ]ironus(  to  make  "'the 
■'■iriuiics  of  those  who  have  worked  with  me  to  found  the  Em- 
I'ire  and  the  fortune  of  their  ohildren."  As  the  valiant  sons 
nf  the  Kevolntion  gained  the  heights  of  imperial  grandeur, 
however,  the  ladder  by  which  they  had  elinibed  from  obscurity 
ti>  liistinction,  from  democracy  to  aristoerai'y,  was  kicked  over. 

The  Em[)eror  still  stirred  his  soldiers  with  the  illusory  hope 
"It  any  one  of  them  might  tind  a  marshal's  baton  in  his  knap- 
"^^ii'k.  Alas,  none  of  them  did.  For  the  batons  weiv  all  gone 
and  no  marshal  of  France  emerged  from  the  ranks  of  the 
''liUhl  Array.  Although  the  Emperor  continued  to  proclaim 
'■■  promise  of  a  career  o|)en  to  every  talent,  all  those  titles 
and  estates  which  he  had  created  wer(>  morlgajes  on  posterity. 
I"  rjtctual  entails,  each  of  which  forever  closed  a  door  to  talent 
aiid  merit. 

I'l'ec  trade  in  eenius  was  at  an  end. 


CIIAITKIl  XXXI 


VK  T()i;li:s  <)K  I'KACK 

MORE  lilood  liiis  liiTii  spilt  ill  the  stncts  of  Paris  to 
lArrilirnw  iiK.iiarcliics  tlmii  on  any  other  (■((ual  sjjair 
of  farth.  Vrt  tlu-sf  stnvts  all  mvih  as  if  they  surely 
must  had  up  to  a  throin'.  Loiidou,  iu  whose  narrow,  tau^ded 
ways  coid'usion  reiirns  and  there  i?,  no  si^r,,  of  the  I)re^enee  of 
a  kiM>_'.  expresses  I^iiirlish  fivedom  and  I'lni/lish  indi\  iduaiism. 

lUit  Its  sister  eily  across  the  Channel  phdidy  is  a  tiiade-to- 
order  town  and  the  pivttily  arran^'ed  staire  setting'  of  a  court. 
'I'he  broad,  ti'ivdiiied  houh-vards.  with  their  nnles  and  miles  of 
windows  and  mansard  I'oofs  on  a  tyrannical  level,  with  their 
arhitrary  vistas  of  splendid  palaces  and  churches  antl  iiioiui- 
nients,  wear  an  air  of  rcjral  maunilicence  that  mocks  the  French 
Jicpulilic  m  its  own  caiutal  and  ridicules  the  re|iuh!ican  sim- 
plicity of  a  i)resident. 

Nai)oh'oii,  at  the  height  of  the  Empire,  stamped  his  image 
upon  the  city  and  made  it  his  monument.  Tlie  Empire  fell 
and  rose  only  to  fall  a-:ain.  Bourimns  and  Orleanists  muv 
come  and  gone.  Tiie  Commune  tossed  in  its  litful  fever.  The 
Keiiuhlic  lived  and  died  and  has  been  born  anew.  Hut  through 
all  its  vicissitudes  I^iris  has  remained  unchangingly  imperial 
Art  is  long  and  beauty  endiii'es. 

Although  the  British  metropolis,  with  a  [/opulation  of 
1.100.000  in  ISOI,  was  twice  the  size  of  the  French  metropolis, 
Napoleon  boasted  that  "London  is  a  corner  of  the  world: 
Paris  is  the  centre."  He  resolved  at  once  to  make  himself 
the  Ca>sar  and  Ids  capital  the  Rome  of  the  modern  world. 
Wars  delayed  and  his  downfall  defeated  manv  of  his  plans. 
The  Second  Empire  took  up  the  untinished  work  ai'  the  First 
and  completed  the  transformation  of  the  city  from  a  dinu'v, 
mediu'val  town. 

252 


VICTUIUKS  OF  1»EACK 


2rj3 


Napoli'Oii  fnliirjri'd  tlu-  palaci'  of  tlic  Louvre,  wliicli  •')()() 
\(aiN  iutoi'i'  had  been  l)uilt  in  tlic  field  In  tlie  Seine  where 
the  wolf  hunters  met,  aiul  he  crowded  it  with  tiie  art  of  cou- 
.|i|.  nd  lands  until  it  held  the  greatest  coUeetion  of  paintings 
,iihI  seulptures  ever  asseiuhjed  under  one  roof.  From  tlie  win- 
ilows  of  the  adjoin in;^  palace  of  the  Tuileries,  which  2m) 
\  ,iis  liel'ore  had  i)een  erected  among  the  tile  kilns,  he  look-d 
uiu  oil  the  clothes  yard  of  I'aris,  where  the  housewives  came 
to  do  their  washing  in  the  river.  On  the  otiicr  side  of  the 
I  ilaie  he  found  iiimself  shut  in  liy  a  hit  of  old  convents  and 
all  iiiaiiner  of  ramshackle  buildings. 

He  cleared  the  river  bank  ami  lined  it  with  broail  (juays. 
11. ■  tnri  away  ihe  luuidlo  of  unsightly  structures  at  his  [lalace 
.M'e  and  laid  out  there  what  is  still  one  of  the  most  important 
ami  imposing  sections  of  the  city.  Opining  a  magnitieent 
>tivt  t  facing  the  Heine  for  nearly  two  miles,  he  naiicd  it  for 
lilt'  Uattle  of  Rivoli.  Directing  that  it  should  have  an  areadcd 
siijewalk  in  the  Italian  manner,  he  prcsci-ibed  so  closely  a  uni- 
I'nnnity  in  skyline  and  architecture  tiiat  every  window  and 
iiinf  and  corner  of  this  Rue  de  Kivuli  still  nuist  conform  to 
Ills  oritrinal  tiesign.  Out  of  that  great  street,  he  ran  two  other 
iiov  noted  streets,  which  commemorate  his  battles — the  Rue 
Castiglione  and  the  Rue  des  Pyramids — but  a  third  no  longer 
is  the  Rue  Napoleon  ;  it  has  become  instead  the  street  of  peace, 
the  celebrated  Rue  de  la  Paix. 

In  the  centre  of  this  magnificent  (juarter,  he  reared  on  a 
pedestal  of  Corsican  granite  the  noble  column  that  adorns  the 
spacious  Place  Vendome  and  encased  its  masonry  in  metal 
plates  made  froi;;  1200  Austrian  and  Russian  cannons.  On 
iliiiM'  sheets  of  bronze  he  caused  to  be  enirraved  in  pictures  the 
story  of  the  campaigns  of  Ulm  and  Austerlitz,  while  he  sur- 
iHoinited  the  lofty  column  with  a  statue  of  himself  in  his  im- 
p'  rial  robes. 

When  the  Empire  fell,  the  Bourbons  hurled  to  the  earth  that 
it'tiL'v  of  the  Etuperor  and  recast  its  metal  into  a  statue  of 
H.iuy  of  Navarre,  which  now  stands  on  the  Pont  Neuf  over 
till'  Seine.  King  Louis  Philippe,  however,  crowned  the  column 
^vifli  another  statue  of  Napoleon,  but  in  the  familiar  garb  of 


2.'.4 


IN  TlIK   I'onTSTIil'S  ()K  NAI'olJ-loX 


till'  victiiridus  ( JrintMl-iti-iliicf.  uliidi  in  diif  tiim'  N'iiiioliMiii  III 
fi|il;irci|  with  siill  jitiiithir  in  tlif  (i!-apfr\'  ol'  the  l']ii.pciMr 
'I'liis.  in  tucn.  \mis  ovrrllii'iiw  ii  liv  tlir  niiiUMUnists  in  ISTl.  hut 
tlif  Tiiit'il  ivrimlilir  t.'iitliiTiil  np  thr  I'l'iiirnimts,  Joini'd  tiirm 
toL'itliiT,  and  thr  r(in'|uri()i'  ill  his  iniprfial  iiuinth'  continurs  to 
doininati'  I'aris. 

V.\it\  wliih'  thi-  \'fn(h)in('  (■iilinuti  was  in  process  ot"  roiistnic- 
tiiin,  Napi)h'(tti  sinhh'iilv  drtiTiiiiiicd  to  havi-  annthcr  int'iiHiii;i! 
of  the  caiiiiiaitrn  of  ]>«)').  Sniiiiiionintr  his  aichitrct  in  the 
nitriit.  ill'  ord''i'i'd  jiini  to  hcLMii  tlic  work  tin'  next  day.  Whm 
thr  I'liiipfi'or  hiokrij  out  in  the  niofniii^'.  lie  saw  olHl  woi'kiin'H 
di^'j-dii^'  the  foundations  for  the  now  faiiious  Arch  of  the  Car 
rolled,  iirtwccn  the  Tnih'i'ics  and  tiic  Louvre.  On  th(>  coiniilr- 
tion  of  tiie  anil  in'  erowiird  it  with  one  of  the  proudest  of  iiis 

tro|)ilies    of   (•(Mli|Uest.    the    eelelirated    lll-Otl/e    hoi'SeS   of    Veilii't'. 

whieli  had  iieen  pri/es  of  war  in  tiie  rei!.rns  of  Nero.  Trajan 
and  Coiistantine.  if  not  indeed  of  .Mexaiuler  the  (ireat. 

Another  arch,  the  largest  in  the  worhl,  the  Arc  de  Trionipln' 
de  I'Mtoile,  was  lic'-nin  at  Ins  eoinniand.  Seen  afar,  tiiis  lieau- 
tiful  arch  of  the  star,  risinir  from  a  <.'eiith'  eiiiineiiee  in  the 
present  day  centre  of  I'ashion,  seems  to  hi'  swiinniiiij;  in  the  sky 
iiliove  the  trees  of  tile  Ciiaiiips  Klysees  and  as  impalpable  as  a 
fleecy  cloud.  The  streets  a[)i>roaehinir  it  are  the  namesakes  of 
the  lields  or  ciunpaniims  of  Napoleon's  ^dory.  The  Avenues 
du  l?ois  ISouloizne.  de  la  (irande  Arim'e,  .leiia,  Watrram,  Fried- 
land,  and  Klelier,  and  the  Rue  Tilsit,  and  the  Rue  I're.sshourg, 
each  brink's  its  si)ecial  triluite  to  the  feet  of  the  arch.  Ainoiit? 
the  bron/es  that  embellish  this  huL'e  and  iiolilc  pile  of  iiuirhlc, 
theic  is  one  which  celebrates  no  victory  and  yet  coimiietnoratcs 
the  \ictor  at  his  best.  It  is  the  memorial  of  a  simple  friend- 
ship of  his  youth  and  represents  the  death  of  yoiin^  ^riiiron, 
w  ho  was  a  comrade  at  Toulon  and  who  laid  down  his  life  for 
his  friend  on  the  lu'id^e  of  Arcole. 

One  inoi'e  monument  to  war  which  Napoleon  desired,  he 
afterward  cliantred  into  a  church,  the  elnssie  Madelene,  wliose 
pa^'an  beauty  betrays  its  builder's  fii'st  purpose,  when  lu' 
planned  to  make  it  a  Temple  of  (llory  and  till  it  with  the 
statues  and  tombs  of  his  wai'riors.     But  he  himself  was  not 


r 


SdMh:    I'oiMHAirs    (IK    nil:    !;mi'ii;ul 
'hi-sc,  2,   liy   V'l'iiii't,   :i.   Iiy    Di'Iaroi  ln',    I.   trniii   h    rniniatiiri 

.  Ill 


\-i(r<>i,'ii:s  oK  iMiAcM 


to  lie  111  till'  nil 


MIIKU)^' 


oil 


Ist    Ul'  tluIU.       Oil   tllO  COIltiary.  llr   rhosr  to  s|ri'|. 

I  hr  Uiii'.'s  that  crowd  tlio  honit'ly  ol-l  iliiiivli  al  St.  |)riii>, 
tin'  »'(Ik''  "I    I'  in--.      I'riMiiially  nsiTviiiir  tlnir  a  spiMi'  lor 

his  i/ravf.  lif  <iiiI<itiI  tlh-  risldratiiiii  of  tin;  ctlilii'''  wliii'li  had 

li.'cii  dt'stM'ratfd  !■>  tln'  ii'\n|ui  loni^ts. 

Wliilc  providiiii:  Inirial  pLu-cs  Tor  liimsrlf  anl  liis  iiiai"slials. 

lie  took  tlioiitrlit  at  tlu'  samr  time  of  tin'  iiiortn  f\-  m  rds  ot  all 


thr  I 


M'OpIl'  O 


r  I'ai'ls  oiitsid''  till'  r]\\   aih 


dil-.rli'd       I 


\r  Ulirllllll.'  o! 


t'mir  ci'iii.'ti'i'irs  siirli  as  hr  liid  situ  ill  (icfiiiaii;         1  la   tirsl  and 
mast  miowiit'd  of  tlicsi'  was  laid  niit  in  what   tm mrils    was  tin' 


I" 


ivatr  park  of  tin'  faihrr  ronlVsMir  o 


f    I.Ulli.     .\1\  l'l''IT     I> 


liaise 


ntil    tln'ii    fi'iiH 


rii'S    wi'i'i'    nnkiinu  n    in    1  ari>,    am 


liodit's  wfi'i'  laapt'd  in  confusion  ln'iifatli  churrh  tluur^  or  luiind 
IK)  ahidins-'  plair  an\  whrrf. 

A  coniplrti'  cataloLni"  of  NaiHih'on's  ronlrilaitions  to  tlic 
braiity  of  Paris  would  hr  lai'L'i'.  ll-'  ua\f  tlu'  prcsmt  Cliaiiilirr 
(if  Deputies  its  classii  facade,  the  rantlieon  its  iinlilc  pidiiiieiit 
and  til.'  liiixeiiilioiiri.'  its  now  ecjeliratrd  iiiii^riim. 

IJ,'  |i;id  nonr  of  tile  soldier's  iiidi 


(Tat 's  eoiiteiiii)t  for  trade.     He 


ll'rt'iiire  1(1  nor  the  ai'isto- 
wished  to  -<■('  i'aris  the  Hiiaii- 


(•1 


111  hn  wrll  as  the  |ioliti.-al  capital  of  I'^iirop 


Wliil 


e  eii'ra 


LTcd 


111  Ills  ruiisii  ( 
an  exelian''e  w 


aniiiaitrn,  he  issued  orders  for  the  construction 


if 


hicli  should  curi't's|)ond  to  the  >pleiidoiir  of  li's 
ital  and  tlie  fXi'cat  voliiine  of  luisiiicss  he  hoped  to  develop. 


insisted,  "with  walks  ai 


round   it. 


It  must  he  vast.'" 
must  stand  h>  itself."  'riiercfore,  the  famous  l^ourse,  tlii> 
riehest  stock  exclianj,'e  in  the  world,  rises  like  a  temple  in  the 
busv  marts  of  tlie  citv. 

\    of    a    Paris    with    2.000.01)0.    even 


Tl 


le     rJllpel'lU'     (Ireailiec 


4.11(1(1,1111(1    people    (.'athered    within    its   lioiiiidaries,    the    most 

<  city   in   the  history   of  the  earth — "sometliiiifr  fid'- 

he  said,  "colossal,   unexaiiii)led."     A   minister  urued 

rrowtli   of  the  citv   Iiecause   it   was 


pOpllllIU 

iilmis.  ■■ 


liiiii  not  to  stimulate   the 


already  difficult  for  its  inhahita.nts  to  sup|>ly  themselves  with 
fond  and  water.  Najwh-on  met  that  objection  hy  suinmariiy 
ahoHshiiifr  the  hundreds  of  inefticient  and  insanitary  slaii-rhter 
iumses  and  i)romi)tly  estahlishint:  a  few  srreat  central  abattoirs 
and  or;,'aiiisini?  a  va.st  imblic;  inuiKcl. 


250 


IX  TIIK  FOOTSTKl'S  OP^  NAPOLEON 


At  the  .same  time  he  onlcrcd  tliat  the  I'oiistnu'tiou  of  a  canal 
be  .started  the  vri'v  next  day  t'oi'  the  twofold  purpose  of  briar,'- 
iiiir  to  the  city  water  and  l)ar;j:e.s  laden  with  the  i)i-oduce  of  the 
country.  'I'liere  was  tlan  no  watei-  for  the  sti'eets  or  for  horsrs. 
and  tlu'  people  had  to  Imy  the  water  for  their  household  needs 
at  one  cent  a  pail.  Imt  he  pei'sisted  in  his  plan  until  it  wa^  as 
tree  as  air  in  I'ai'is.  New  fountains  were  se«  up  and  old  olll■^ 
i-evived.  whi<-li  to^'cther  yielded  an  ahundanl  supply  on  every 
hand  for  the  jieople,  the  horses  and  the  streets.  "In  the  dis- 
tricts of  St.  Denis  tuid  St.  ^blrtiI,,  "  the  watchful  master  of 
JMU'ope  complained  aftei'  all  the>e  pi'ovisions  liad  bei'U  made, 
"thei'eare  tlu'ei^  Inutitains  without  water." 

He  was  as  attentive  to  the  streets  of  his  capital  as  to  his 
military  lines  of  connnunicatiou  when  eonductinj,' a  eampaisrii. 
There  were  only  ilii'ee  or  four  slJtwa'i^s  in  all  Paris  until  he 
orch'red  tiiem  laid  thi'ouf;hout  the  city.  He  found  the  streets 
swarniin-x  with  rol)bers  at  m'sht  and  beur<rai's  by  day.  He  sup- 
pressed robbery  by  inti'oduein^'  an  efiicient  police  force,  the 
familiar  gendarmerie  which  all  th"  cities  of  Europe  have  imi- 
tated, and  he  attacked  mendicaiu'y  by  opening  houses  of 
charity  and  woikshojis.  "Every  be;:gar  shall  be  arrested," 
he  directed;  "but  to  arrest  him  iu  order  to  put  iiim  in  prison 
would  be  liarbarous  and  absurtl.  lie  must  be  arrested  in  order 
tiuit  he  may  L  >  ta    ght  to  earn  a  livelihood  by  work." 

This  I'uler  who  .lad  hungered  in  those  streets  of  Paris  knew 
that  bullets  were  not  tlie  pi'oper  remedy  for  want.  "I  would 
rather  light  an  army  of  200,0(10  men  than  liave  to  put  down  a 
bread  riot,"  he  said,  and  lie  exju'cs-scd  two  simple  and  i)rao- 
tieal  measures  in  these  orders:  "If  the  cold  "enirns,  have  liig 
fires  lighted  in  the  chui'dus  and  other  Tnil)lie  places  so  they 
may  warm  large  numbers  of  iieople."  "The  winter  will  he 
severe  and  meat  very  dear.     We  must  make  work  in  Paris."' 

While  he  was  in  (ieiinany,  neai'ly  a  thousand  miles  from 
Paris,  he  wrote  to  his  officials  that  a  "-lisea-se  calletl  croup," 
which  was  fatal  to  children,  had  risen  there  and  was  spreatling 
to  JVaiice.  He  ottered  a  liberal  money  prize  for  the  physician 
who  should  propose  the  best  n-eatment  of  the  ailment. 

Nor  did  he  neglect  the  nation  or  any  part  of  his  immense 


VICTORIES  OF  PEACE 


257 


Emi'irc.  TIu'  network  of  canals  that  rarry  tlie  eommorfo  of 
France  to-day  was  s\steniatised  by  him.  It  was  lie  wlio  or- 
dered the  construction  of  waterways  that  linked  all  tiie  rivers 
in  the  country. 

Tile  une(iuallod  system  of  highways  in  France  was  inau- 
L'urated  by  him  and  toll  ^ates  were  torn  away.  Applying  his 
hanuiiers  to  the  Ali)s,  he  did  what  the  Ixomaus  had  not  dared 
to  try.  tracing  through  blocks  of  granite,  smooth,  spacious 
roads  over  and  under  mountains  which  had  interposed  since 
time  began  to 

Make  enemies  of  nations  who   liail   else 
Like   kindi'ed  (Iroi)s,   lieni   minified   into  one. 

■Wherever  he  found  a  barrier  between  men,  whether  of  na- 
ture or  of  law,  he  impetuously  threw  himself  against  it  in  a 
fury  to  remove  it.  Cai)turi!ig  a  city,  he  levelled  its  walls. 
Capturing  a  citadel,  he  disnumtled  it.  The  tirst  general  of 
modern  times  to  lead  a  h\^  army  over  the  Alps,  he  constructed 
plcnsant  promeiuides  across  them  by  whicli  the  merest  holiday 
soldier  was  fretdy  chall(>nged  to  invade  France. 

Tlie  Lrrcat  Simplon  road  from  Switzerland  into  Italy  cost 
.*•_'•'),(  11)0  a  mile  and  as  many  as  iJO.OdO  workmen  were  emi)loyed 
upon  it  at  one  time.  There  is  no  more  fitting  monument  of 
the  constructive  genius  of  Napoleon  tlian  the  gallery  of  (iondo 
on  the  Simplon,  where  a  tunnel  nearly  two  hundred  and  lifty 
yards  long  ])ierces  an  enormous  mass  of  rock  'hat  seemed  to 
make  the  road  impossible.  No  traveller  reads  without  a  thrill 
of  admiration  the  inscription  at  the  portal  of  the  tunnel : 

Acre  Italo,  ISO."),  Naji,   Imp. 

Two  other  Alpine  roads  of  his  reigii  are  the  Mt.  Cenis  and 
that  over  Mont  Genevre,  both  leading  from  France  into  Italy. 
A  foui'th  is  the  rande  Corniche,  the  noblest  road  in  the 
v.erM.  wliieh  he  built  so  high  up  on  the  brow  of  1hi'  Maritime 
Alps  from  Nice  to  ]\Ientone  that  the  British  giud)oats  could 
not  shell  an  army  marching  by  it  into  Italy.  From  Melz  to 
Mayence  on  the  Khine  he  threw  a  highway  across  trackless 
marshes  and  through  vast  forests. 


•J.).S 


IN  TIIK   FOOTSTEPS  OF  XAI'OLKOX 


Tlie  "rr.'at  ports  of  Antwtip,  ('licrlioui'-,',  and  iJouloguc  are 
iiiorc  iiidclttrd  to  his  rcij,'ii  than  to  any  other  for  tlicir  present 
iini.ortancc.  Tlie  fnnuh-  of  the  .Milan  •■atiiedral  had  waited 
400  yt'ars  to  lie  eoiuph'ted,  but  he  or.h'red  it  linished  in  short 
order.  .\t  the  same  time,  he  (h'creed  the  coiistruetioii  of  tiie 
pretty  marhh'  arch  which  marks  in  that  eity  tiie  completion 
of  tile  Simplon  road.  Canova's  hron/e  statue  of  the  Em- 
peror's nude  tij,'ure,  whieii  was  designed  for  the  arch,  stands 
instead  in  the  courtyard  of  the  Hnia  (ialiei_    at  Mihiii. 

On  a  brief  visit  to  Veniee.  .\'ap(deo,i  ordered  the  tlemolitinii 
of  a  grouj)  of  old  monasteries  ami  laid  out  t'"  luldie  (iardeu; 
translerred  tlie  eathedral  homiurs  from  St.  i  ,  fers  to  tlu'  iimn' 
famous  (diui'eh  of  St.  .Mark's,  and  authorised  the  expenditure 
of  .sl.O(Mt,(l(io  in  impi'ovinyc  the  harbour  and  the  canals. 

Ile^  was  never  to  see  Home,  but  in  anticipation  of  a  visit  to 
the  Ktei'uai  City  after  his  return  from  Russia,  he  planned  its 
restoration  and  the  construction  of  roatls  and  canals  for  its 
benetit.  To  the  same  end  he  ordered  from  the  sculptor,  Tlior- 
ualdsen,  the  celebrate-l  relief,  the  Tidumph  of  Alexander,  as  an 
atlornnient  for  the  walls  of  the  (^uirinal  palace,  but  inverses 
overtakin<r  him,  the  sculpture  passed  into  other  hands.  It 
now  forms  the  frieze  of  the  .Marble  Hall  in  the  Carlotta  Villa 
on  Lake  Coino,  whil.^  only  a  })iaster  copy  of  it  has  been  set  up 
in  the  ])alaee  of  the  Kiiifr  of  Italy  on  the  Quirinal. 

For  the  most  part  .Napoleon  wrou^rht  in  stone  and  wa.s  in 
reaction  from  the  idealism  that  i)reeetled  the  Empire  and  ran 
riot.  Still  he  remained  obedient  to  many  of  the  solid,  tangible 
purposes  of  the  Revolution  which  sent  him  forth.  He  up- 
rooted ancient  injustice  all  along  his  way  and  i)la!ited  'iberal 
institutions  throughout  Europe.  Even  to  faraway  Poland,  he 
carried  modern  laws,  freeing  the  serfs  and  the"  land,  whii,' 
Prussui  emulated  the  example  of  her  conqueror  and  feudalism 
disappeared  from  Germany  in  a  year.  "Let  <'very  species  of 
serfage  be  abolished,"  he  commanded  his  brother  Jerome,  when 
setting  him  upon  the  throne  of  Westjihalia.  "The  benefits  of 
the  ^',u\,^  .Vapoleon,  the  publicity  ,,r  .ourt  proceedings,  the  es- 
tablishment of  juries  should  form  so  nuuiy  distizictive  char- 
acteristics of  vour  monarch V." 


e  are 
•esent 
aitfd 
short 


If 


if  t 
let  ion 


.111- 


taiK 


Iitinii 
•(Icii: 
tiiori' 
it  11  re 


sit  to 
■d  its 
ir  its 
riior- 
as  an 
orsfs 
.  It 
Villa 
't  up 


IS  in 
I  ran 


211) 


le 


up- 

icral 
I,  he 
vhilt' 


iiisra 


■s  0 


f 

I'lieii 
tsof 
e  es- 
har- 


I 


VICTOKIKS  OF  I'KACK 


2,')!) 


I 


III'  ilid  iiinrc  for  tlic  t'liiai;  ■ipatioii  of  tln'  Jrws  tliaii  all  other 
rulers  tojjctlitT  ill  tlns'c  cfiil  lU'ics.  Ilf  convoked  tlieir  leaders 
ill  the  famous  French  Sanliedrini  of  ISO?  and  liis  .Madrid 
decree  stiU  is  their  ciiartei'  of  riiriits  in  tiie  hinds  that  formed 
!iis    Kiripirc.     "All    men    are    hi'otlieis    htd'ore    (!od,"    he    de- 

•  liU'ed  ton  deputation  com|>osed  of  a  ("atliolic  pi'ie^t,  a  I'rotcs- 
•:iiit  minister,  and  a  .Ie\vi>li  I'alihi.  and  he  trave  that  hrother- 
hood  tiic  force  of  law  neai'ly  evei'vwhei'e  in  iMirope.  IIow  far 
lie  stood  in  advance  of  even  the  more  proi:i'essive  nations  may 
lie  iir'asui'ed  l)y  the  fact  that  tho  earl  mai'slial  (d"  lOii'.dand. 
•ill'  l)id<e  of  Noi'folk,  still  was  deliai-r.d  fi'om  a  seat  in 
the  House  of  Lords  l)ecause  he  was  a  ("atholic.  wliile  ( ieort:e  III 
liiNiiiissed  a  Uritisli  eahinet  in  1^07   hecausi'  it   favoui'ed  the 

•  •luimipation  of  the  Catholics,  a  measure  of  justice  liiat  was 
'.fused  until  1S2II.  And  it  was  not  until  l.s."'),S  that  En^dand 
■  iiiaiicipated  the  Jews. 

N'litwitiistanding  its  comparative  liberalism  in  many  thinps, 
the  Ktiipire  of  Napoleon  was  not  of  tiie  higher  realm  of  the 
rpirit,  hut  a  splendid  materialism.  While  he  estahlisli-'d  tlie 
Fniversity  of  Fi'aiice  and  or<jranized  schools  for  the  i'l'w,  his 
eiierfiies  were  wholly  directed  toward  lit  tins.'  men  f(u-  his  serv- 
ice. He  did  uothiuLT  for  ])opular  education.  The  Hmpire 
found  !»6  [ler  cent,  of  the  people  illiterate — think  of  it,  oidy 
four  Frenchmen  in  100  coulil  read  or  write! --and  it  is 
liiiuhtful  i  there  were  more  than  20,000  children  in  the  i)ul)lic 
primary  schools  of  France  at  any  time  wliile  Napoleon  was  ou 
tile  throne. 

The  liner  arts  lanuruislied  in  tlie  deep  shade  of  this  massive 
tin^ire.  Notwithstandin<r  he  of^'ered  liberal  yearly  prizes,  no 
trrcat  poem  or  sont'.  no  great  opera  or  play  found  its  inspira- 
tion in  him.  Heethoven  detlicated  his  symphony.  '"Eroica," 
to  tile  First  Consul.  When  his  n>pidilican  lu'ro  put  on  the 
v;rown.  howev.M-,  the  composer  ani^rily  toi'c  off  the  dedication, 
traiupled  it  under  his  feet  and  dedicated  the  immortal  .sym- 
phony an.  w  to  the  '■memory"  of  a  great  man  I 

Altlioush  he  ordered  and  paid  for  paintings  by  the  yard — - 
"cifrlit  metres,  three  decimetres  in  heiirlit  and  four  metres  in 
'"''"Hlth.  the  price  to  be  $2400"— he  admitted  that  it  was  "ah- 


160 


I\  THE  FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLEON 


surd  to  oT'lcr  n   poet  to 


',\  TllP 


;i'i  iiili'  iis  vou   would  ord 


or  a 


drcsstnakiT  to   ninkc  a   muslin   <_'o\\ii 


Yet 


he  sccnird 


tiMiipIrd  to  ill'. ■est  the  |lOl•I^  aiid  iiiusic.a US  t"or  tiu'ir  iuclYrctii 
att('ni|)ts  to  ^ild  tlic  trnld  ot'  his  achicvruicuts. 
,'()  on  lictliT  at  till'  ii|ifi'a,"  iio  tlircatciird, 


UUL'S  1 1 


not 


I 


If  t 

ill  i)ut  ill 


ji;ood  soldier  to  inaua'_rt'  it." 

In  the  rud  this  maslri'l'ul  man.  in  ids  iuliidtc  varirty,  iiiaiif 
hirnsflt'  the  purt  and  tli>'  orat(u-  ot'  France,  'i'he  map  of  Kn- 
rope  was  tiie  sheet  wliei'edii  lie  Wrote  the  sxreatest  t'pic  (d'  hi> 
tiuio.  "However  viixttrous  ids  pi'aetieal  faeulty,"  says  Taiiii'. 
in  his  study  of  Napoleon,  "Ids  poetic  faiMiHy  is  strons^cr.  It 
is  even  too  vigorous  for  a  statesman-,  its  ^randeui'  is  exaf;- 
gcrated  into  euorudtv.  and  its  enoi'iidty  <iet,'enei'ates  into  mad- 
ness." 

Na[ioleon's  proejamat  ions  to  his  army  ot'ti'U  I'ose  to  the  clcnr 
lieights  of  oratory,  l^merson  pronounced  his  hattlc  nari'ativL'S 
as  liood  as  Cu'sai's.  A  measure  of  his  aetivities  as  a  writer  is 
oft'ered  by  his  ])uhlislied  coi'i-  'spondenee.  tilling  more  tliaii 
tlurty  volumes  aiul  coiiii)rising  neai'ly  :10. ()()()  iloeumeuts. 

Yet  very  little  of,  it  did  he  write  witii  his  own  hand.  No 
pen  could  keep  u])  with  iii.s  thoughts.  His  words  flew  from  his 
lips  wiiilc  tile  (piills  of  his  secretaries,  with  no  system  of 
,stenograj)hy  to  aid  them,  raced  to  put  on  paper  a  few  main 
points  and  cluiracteristic  expressions  f^om  whi(di  to  frame 
letters,  orders,  proclamations,  and  sjieed  them  hy  couriers  to 
all  corners  of  the  Empir(\  If  they  were  engidfcd  hy  tlie  tor- 
rent and  floundered,  he  cried  out  as  if  in  pain,  "I  cannot  re- 
peat; you  make  me  lose  the  thread  of  my  thou'_dit." 

He  did  not  have  time  even  to  subscribe  "  Najiolcon*'  to  the 
documents  which  his  secretaries  laboriously  wrote  out  and  laid 
before  him ;  he  merely  jabbed  them  with  his  quill  and  made  an 
undecipherable  sign  whicli  yet  sufficed  to  give  them  full  force 
and  effect  throughoiit  Europe.  Sometimes  the  ilb  gible  scratch 
was  intended  for  "Nap,"  but  as  the  terrible  pressure  weighed 
lieavier  and  heavier  npau  him  lie  made  oidy  a  fish  hook  for 
an  "N."  Thus  while  the  power  and  care  of  the  Emperor  in- 
creased bis  autimrajth  diminished;  as  the  nuiu  grew  in  au- 
thority his  signature  grew  smaller  and  meaner. 


VICTOHIKS  OF  rKACK 


261 


.hi. I  ;is  the  nnr  letter  "N"  hastily  serawlcd  siitliped  to  pro- 
,,1111  Ins  will  to  a  dorilc  world  so  his  prcsciire  nccih-d  not  to 
Idcd  hv  aiiv  loii^'  title.     As  kiiitrs  and  princes  entered 


In-  lii-ra 
the  enui 


■t  tl 


lev  writ'  announeed  hy  a 


11  t 


li'ii'    |i!'OU( 


I  desitrnations. 


lilt  when  the  doors  were  thrown  open  for  the  sovei'eii/n  o\ 
s  ,\,  ivi;.'iis  111"  attendant  pronounced  only  the  simple,  yet  thrill- 
iliL'  title,  "L'Hnipei-eur !" 

lie  lie,-aiiie  the  litei'ature,  ixilities.  and  ti'ade  of  France.     lie 
h.  1(1  no  councils  in   war  and   no  eahinet    meeting's   in   peace. 


rt 


'allevrand  ffo- 


lie  wa 


s  alwavs  in  a  state  of  treason 


acted  as  Ins  own  minister  ol 


t'oi'eiirn  at'faii's. 


H 


e  ai)ollslie(l 


/rihuinite  and  his  own  was  the  one  voice  left  in  the  nation. 
SiioML'.  stuhhorn  natures  fled   him,  and   those  who  remained 


tlie 


>atik  into   clerks  to  do  flu 


hii 


Idii 


!"•  of  one   whom   (Uadstont 


rated  "the  ei'catest  administrator  in  history."' 

(ieiierally  he  was  at  work  as  (arly  as  seven  in  the  mornintr. 
tcarinsi  throu^li  tlie  nuiltitudinous  duties  of  an  I-".mpire  which 

md    thii'ty    principalities. 


eiubraci 


lial 


dozen    kin<'(hims 


isometimes  he  awoke  at  a  most  unrea.sonahle  hour  and  ealle(l 
for  his  assistants,  shoutinjr,  as  Baron  de  .Aleneval  tells  us, 
'"Let  every  one  arise." 

The  financier  wlio  financed  that  enormous  Empire,  elothed, 
fed,  armed  its  tremendous  armies,  was  Napoleon  himself,  fial- 
Idliinsr  hack  from  Austerlitz,  he  stole  into  Paris  in  th.'  nipht, 
and  after  an  absence  of  12.")  stirring  days,  sat  down  at  his  table 
as  if  lie  had   only   returned    from  a   stroll,     Summonin'.'   his 

t   eiirht   in   the   mornintr,   h(>  befran   to 


iiiiiiistei's   in    council    a 


f 


straij^hten  out  the  tan^'jed  finances  of  his  crovernment,  re 
oreanise  its  income  and  outgo  and  establish  a  new  system  o 
ileiilile  entry  accountin;?. 

lie  iiat.'<l*a  public  debt.  The  debt  of  France  was  $100,000,- 
(HHi,  when  he  bepiu  to  fund  it,  and  he  swore  that  "as  lonis  as  I 
rule  I  shall  not  issue  any  paper."  At  the  hei^dit  of  his  power 
the  yearly  expenditur.'S  nineed  frnin  .$1-40.000,000  to  $180.- 
(ilKl.ilOO.     lie  imule  his  army  pay  its  own  way  with  indemni- 


ties from  conqm'red  lands  an<l  subsidies  from  allied  states. 
Warfare  was  cheap  in  a  time  when  soldiers  received  only  a  few 
rents  a  dav,  lived  otT  the  country,  t>nd  ordnance  was  simjjle 


2(12 


IX  TIIK   FOOTSTKPS  OF  XAPOLEOX 


iitid  ini'Ni>cii^i\i'.  Till'  iuniy  ]i;iy  roll  was  hanlly  ever  more 
tliiiii  $1.0(1(1,0(1(1  a  iiioiifh. 

Xo  stock  speculator  ever  watched  tlie  ti'ker  more  closely 
than  Xapolioti  watcjied  the  fluctuations  in  the  price  of  rentes, 
or  the  pulilie  securities  Their  jiar  vrliie  was  100  francs, 
hut  where  they  sohl  for  only  twelve  i'raiies  the  day  het'ore 
lie  seized  the  I'eins,  they  rose  steadily  until  the  victory  of 
Austi  rlitz  lioosled  th"!ii  to  seventy  and  the  peace  of  Tilsit  to 
ninety.  Shoi'tly  afterward  they  touched  ninety-threo,  which 
rej)resented  intei'est  at  the  rate  of  ahou*  ")  pei*  cent. 

The  Fniperor's  attention  to  money  matters  was  not  limited  tn 
liii,'li  linance.  He  watched  the  ci'iitimes  as  vitrilantly  as  the 
fruics.  He  eori'ectcd  ev.  n  the  Km|ires  .'  laundry  hills  and  re- 
joiced over  the  saving'  of  .*7000  a  year  elfected  hy  his  havin^j 
systematised  thi'  expenditures  for  the  l")"*  ou]is  of  coffee  daily 
drunk  in  his  i)alaces.  Tie  made  his  n  iirshals  and  courtiers, 
when  in  attendance  at  court,  furnish  tli"ir  own  blankets,  linm, 
tov.'ds,  firewood,  and  candles,  and  giiw  thein  nothing  hut  the 
hare  heds.  Xot  a  sip  of  soup  or  wine  could  he  ohtained  in  any 
of  t lie  jialaces  without  a  check  frcMii  Diiroc,  the  prrand  marshal. 

Life  at  court  necessarily  wis  rohlu'd  of  its  joyousness  hy 
such  a  spirit  of  cheese  parin<_'  in  the  palaces,  the  upkeep  of 
which  was  reduced  to  an  allowance  of  only  $600,000  a  year, 
■whereas  it  had  been  as  much  as  $■), 000,000  under  the  Bourhons, 
when  the  hrotli  for  a  two-year-old  princess  cost  $10(')0  a  year, 
and  rolls  for  each  lady  in  waitiiif,'  $400.  Louis  XVI  spent 
$400,000  on  a  court  journey  to  Fontainehleau,  a  function  that 
Xapoleon  duplicated,  in  outward  form     r  least,  for  $30,000. 

Yet  he  was  prodijjal  with  rewards.  Every  man  in  France 
knew  that  if  he  devised  anythiinr  useful  in  science  or  rendered 
an  important  service  the  Kmperor  would  handsomely  repay 
him.  Xapoleon  had  insisted  from  the  o'ltset  that  the  Lcfrion 
of  Honour  should  not  he  for  the  reward  of  soldiers  alone.  lie 
contended,  on  the  contrary,  that  "all  sorts  of  merits  are  hroth- 
ers,"  and  that  "intelli<,'eiice  has  riudits  before  force."  Hon- 
ours fell  upon  exceptional  men  in  every  calling.  As  the  cheva- 
liers of  the  Lesrion  came  and  went  throusrh  life,  with  their  deco- 
rations on  their  coats,  sentries  presented  arms  and  the  gen- 


VICTOR  IKS  (»K   I'KACi: 


'HVA 


III'lIM' 


ill 


lii'tnl    liis   swoi'd  ;    tlh'il-   sous   iUhl    daUL'iltiis    wilc    cdll- 
(!  hv  Ilic  stale,  and  wlim  tlicy  lliciiisrh  rs  died,  a  -.(|uad  of 


tw.  nty-fivi>  soldiers  inareliccl    1 
.Maiiv  broke  under  the  liea 


lesKle 


tin 


Inner'; 


eai'. 


if  his  ministers 


it   line   ( 

i\   r|-atniiiinLr  liiin  too 


tlial    h 


I'nll   1 


vv 

yoki 

e"i 

ad   > 

lavi 

'  Mia 

of   Na|iiih'(in. 


Ill 


onie  iiH'fit   at    lir^t. 
ie  luni  stu|)id 


sail] 
■hut 


1,  "that  terrihh'  man  has  suh,jin_'ated  lis  al 


irreanei 

of  Ills  ministerial  tools  sail 


Decns 
Another 


Used  to  think 
■ked 


1 


aw  till 


Km- 


]ii  I'lir  standmir  over  me  as  I  worked  slint  up  in  my  oiiiee. 

(  iimpassioiili'ss  toward  liimself,  this  taskmaster  was  not  w  itli- 
iiiit  riiiiipassion  toward  others.  lie  confessed  at  one  tiiiu'  that 
l;i  had  alri'iuly  worked  to  deatli  two  of  his  ministei's  and  would 
li;i\i'  killed  a  tliird  had  he  not  been  so  tooLdi.  "The  liick\- 
man."'  he  said,  "'is  he  \vlio  hides  away  from  me  in  the  depth  of 
^iiiiie  provinee.  Wlien  I  die,  peoiile  will  draw  in  their  breath 
ami  say  'ouf !'  " 

For  hi.nself  there  was  no  bidin<r  place,  no  refuse  from  iiis 
iiiorhid  restlessness,  no  escape  from  the  terrilile  enertiies  that 
Imilid  up  and  clamoured  within  him,  no  rek'a.se  from  the  super- 
luniiiality  wi^h  wliieh  nature  had  visited  him.  l*ower  warped 
lii>  whole  being:.  He  lost  the  <'a|>acity  to  smih — he  never 
riiiihl  laiiixli.  Care  furrowed  his  face  and  left  his  (\ve  cold 
ami  searehinfj.  "That  devil  of  a  man  !"  the  bold  ruflian  \'an- 
(lamine  exelainied.  "I,  who  fear  neither  (iod  nor  the  devil, 
trniihle  like  a  child  when  I  approach  him.  lie  could  make  nie 
juinp  throiisrh  the  eye  of  a  needle  into  the  fire." 

l'"roin  the  towerinir  summit  of  liis  own  eminence,  he  saw 
mankind  so  nearly  on  a  dead  level  below  liim  that  individ- 
uality was  almost  lost.  The  imagination  and  plans  of  others 
could  not  ker  p  uj.  with  his  own  and  w.^re  but  a  dra?  upon  him. 
lie  needed  only  the  arms  and  bands  and  legs  of  men  to  execute 
his  thoughts,  which  gashed  forth  spontaneously  like  water  from 
a  geyser. 

Tlius,  one  man  absorbed  France  aiul  P^urope  until  he  was 
ail  in  all,  nations  and  armies,  commerce,  industry  and  litera- 
ture, kings,  queens,  princes,  ministers,  and  marshals,  like  fly- 
•ig  horses  in  a  merry-go-round,  revolving  on  his  Atlantean 


ClIAI'TI'.li  xxxir 


Rirri  RNINd  to  I'aris  rimii  Tilsit  on  a  inid-suainicr 
iiioniiii^'  in  1m)7.  Napolfon  stood  on  tlif  suiniiiit  dt' 
powrT-  and  looked  down  upon  a  continrnt  olifdirnt  tn 
his  will.  As  he  walki'il  the  ^'iddy  iiii^lits,  liowcvcr.  lir  siw 
distant  peaks  that  seemed  to  v'l^r  ahose  him  and  eiiallenj^'e  his 
aspirin-,'  spirit  to  elimh  hi<:hei'  still.  Vet  all  the  roads  opiiiiiii,' 
before  liini,  whether  their  linirer  posts  invited  hiiu  to  Spain. 
or  to  Home,  to  Divorce  or  to  .Moscow,  iiievitahly  ran  down  hill, 
since  lie  was  already  in  fact  at  tln'  top. 

He  was  at  peace  with  the  world  save  for  a  little  island  that 
hiy  oil'  in  the  fou-  of  the  Xoi'lli  Atlantic  like  "a  wart  on  llic 
nose  of  Europe,"  as  he  contemptuously  described  it.  lie  was 
conlident  he  could  eoni|uci'  Kn<,'land  in  a  bloodless  eainpait;u 
without  firing'  another  jrun  and  without  loavin<;  his  eaijital. 

With  tile  tla'-Ts  of  France  and  liei'  allied  nations  swept  from 
the  ocean,  and  Kn^disli  vessels  excluded  from  the  harbours  ef 
fho  continent,  the  American  tlajr  had  become  the  favourite  rcf- 
Uire  and  protector  of  a  <rrcat  commerce.  To  prevent  the  infant 
republic  of  the  *vest  takinu'  from  them  the  lead  in  the  carrying' 
trade,  the  Uri»isli  minislcrs  adopted  the  watchword.  "No  trade 
e.\cept  thi'ou^di  Entrland."  To  that  end  they  forbade  neutral 
ships  to  enter  any  port  of  Napoleon's  empire  uidess  they  first 
visited  an  Enijrlish  port,  and  paid  a  heavy  tribii*e  to  the  British 
treasury.  Xapoleon  thereupon  retorted  with  a  decree  which 
condemned  to  seizure  any  ves.scl  submitting  to  that  exaction. 

With  that  stroke  the  doom  of  the  commerce  of  the  seas  was 
cumpiete.     Tiie  fxreat  waters  all  but  reverted  to  the  trackiess 

204 


FORTrXK  TI'RXS 


20.") 


wastes  t!ii'>'  uri-c  hi'l'iirr  llir  \()y;ii,'' s  oi'  ( '(iluiiiliiis,  (i;unn.  nrnl 
M;i^,'i'llaii.  wliilf  Nii|M)lc()ii  uiulirlnuk  to  i'(n|ii;i  .lir  a.iciciit 
(ivirlaiiil  I'oiiti's  to  till'  rast. 

TIh'  mw  world  was  now  involvrd  witli  thr  old  in  a  nnivrr-al 
cniiflict.  It  was  estiinati'd  that  only  one  in  liu'lit  Annii-an 
vessels  (•rossint''  tlif  Atlantir  cMiiprd  captni'i'  at  tlir  lands  of 
Kniiiee  or  MnL'land. 

Tlir  rnitcii  States.  scckinL:  at  oner  to  [irolrct  its  slii,is  and 
ntiilial''  on  hotli  of  the  lirllii.'frcnt  powers,  adopted  the  Mm- 
hiir^'o  .\ef  in  1M)7.  To  that  end  ( 'onu'r'c'ss  I'm  hade  American 
Vessels  to  elear  fni-  i'lnropean  pofts.  ami  it  snimdit  to  ent  oti  I'.w- 
rope  from  Amerii'an  supplies.  Xevertlieless  the  stars  and 
stripes  cotitinned  to  appear  in  r^uropeaii  waters.  .Many 
Amerieaii  ships  eluded  the  I^ndiai'tro  .\et  by  stayiri'.:  away  from 
li'Mih-    and    eiit^ajjeil    ill    the   carrying    trade    hetweeii    foreii:n 

ll\  a  fui'tlier  decree.  liowe\'er,  Napoleon  condemned  all  ves- 
— N  cf  the  I'nited  States  eiiterinix  hi>  liarlioiirs,  since  they  had 
110  riuht  under  American  law  to  he  absent  from  tlieir  own 
ports.  Ohedient  to  tills  last  act,  l;!4  .Xmerii-an  ships  were 
seized  in  a  year,  and  their  ear<,'oes,  a^'),n'e^atinn:  in  value  .$10,- 
Ono.Odi).  were  eoutiseated. 

When  Hiiijjland  saw  the  bayonets  of  Napoleon,  like  a  barbed 
wire  fence,  enclosing  tlie  shores  of  the  Allantie  and  tlie  Haltio, 
the  ^lediterranoan  and  tlie  Adriatic,  she  soui^dit  to  keep  tho 
port  of  Copenhaijren  open  to  her  trade  by  bombardiii<jr  that  city 
ainl  carryin','  ofT  the  Danish  navy.  The  Knijieror  nt  the  same 
time  was  mcnaeing  a  feeble  nation  at  the  other  extremity  of 
Europe  and  demandin;jr  that  Lisbon,  the  only  southern  port 
where  the  l?ritis!>  fia<,'  still  found  a  welcome,  should  be  elosed. 
■  If  I'ortnjral  does  not  do  as  I  wish,"  he  stormed  at  the  Portu- 
?uise  ambassador,  '"the  House  of  Urairanza  will  eease  to  rcii^ii 
in  two  mouths.  I  will  no  loiiirer  tolerate  an  Kntrlish  ambas- 
sador in  Europe,  but  will  declare  war  against  any  power  that 
reeeives  one  at  its  court." 

He  was  determined  to  plant  his  fniiis  at  every  liarbour  moutli 
oil  the  continent  and  bar  Eugbmd  from  the  land  as  effectually 


wa« 


i:<4i. 


266 


i.\  Tin:  i'(»(»TSTi;i's  (»i."  \Ai'(ii,i:().\ 


ports  of  tlir  l',i|.,il  Statt'S  did  Hdt  rs,;ip,.  liis  attnitidii.  I'd],. 
I'lus  \'||  was  sternly  coiniiiaiidi  d  Id  .Ins,-  tli,ni  lo  I'.iiih' 
tr.KJr  .ind  Join  flic  (•(nitiiifiif;d  allmiicr  jitramst  Cnal  Hnlain. 
}'^''"''  '''"^  \''l  <iiscr.Ttly  yirldr.l  t,,  tli.-  ('uiiiniand.T-iu 
cliicf  ..f  an  ai my  of  HOO.IKKt  snidi.  in  so  far  as  to  (.■onsciit  to  thr 
ox<'lusi„M  of  I'.ritisli  trad.'  i-i„n\  his  dominions,  h,.  n  fus.'d  V^ 
dr.-iarc  war  aL'ainst  Kn-Iand  and  iMronir  a  mililatd  allv  o; 
I'Vanrr.  Tiirrviipnn  an  iih|H.nal  army  siiddmls-  .'nl'mv 
K'oiiir.  whrvr  ill,.  |';,,,;,1  srr,vtai'N  nf  stair  and  varion's  innillirr, 
"'  ""'  ''iii'dinalalr  \\,i.-  aiivsi  .1  an,l  drportrd  until  uu\\ 
tu.nl\  on.,  rardinals  nMiaim,!  in  tlir  rity,  wlui'li  ;'..w  l,r. 
bfiicatii  the  swoiij  (iT  .\;i|„i|r(in. 

Th,.  lilt!,,  kinjdnin  of  I'm-ln^'al,  torn  lu'twcni  tli,.  mast.'r  (-! 

*'"■  ''""'  ■""'  !'"■  ii'iMrrss.,f  til,,  sra.  also  failed  to  i ^t  tli..  Km 

'•'.■':"''"^'.''"'''""'^  '"  ''"'I-  '"I'i  '"■  l""-l"i  ii| it  a  Vvrnrh  ariir, 

"t  invasion.  nn,|,T  t|„.  ,.oiiii,iand  of  .lunot.  Sir  Sidnrv  Smith 
""■  uliiquitoiis  n.wr  of  tl,,.  sra,  win.  had  hafll,.,!  Xai".  .•Icon  at 
A<ri'.  was  in  IJshnii  harhmir  as  tli,'  invadrrs  approai'h.'d  th,. 
'•ity.  and  hr  indiirrd  ih.'  poor  mad  (^ii,.cii  and  hrr  I'rincc  K. 
^'rnt  fol.oM-.i  ..nfhis  .|m,,s.  Whrn.  tlh.ivfo'  -I unot  arrivr,] 
Jit  thr  palar,.  h,.  toinni  ihat  Smith  had  r- iiiov,'.!  ,,ir  rortiiL'U.- 
•'rown  hryond  his  r.'ach  and  that  tli..  royal  family  had  tlowii  u^ 
tlHir  I'.ra/ilian  rolmiy.  Tli,.rr  the  fu-ritiw  Ura'-an/as  set  up 
a  fhr.inr  for  thr  lirst  limr  in  the  western  liemisi-luTe  aud  ul- 
timately founded  ih,.  |.:m|,iiv  of  I',ra/i|. 

A  s.|ualid  hrawl  in  the  wn.p-hed  royal  fainilv  at  MadrH 
now  tem|)ted  Napoleon  to  take  tli.'ir  throne  awav  from  tlicai 
Ferdinand,  ih,'  I'rim-,.  ,,r  th,.  Asturias  and  hejr'to  tlie  <-rowii 
of  Spam,  a  nai'row.  dark  souled  yountr  man  of  twentv-thnv, 
relM^lled  a-aiiLst  his  lather,  aiul  hotli  turned  to  the  "Miifrhty 
Kmperor.  each  appealin-,'  for  his  protection  against  the  otlicr. 
Son  and  fath,-r  were  plainly  told  that  neith,'r  should  have  the 
crown,  ami  the  i<,'nominioiis  jjair  were  not  lonir  in  resiLniini' 
th,Miiselves  to  their  inijierious  master.  Siirnin-,'  awav  their  do- 
minion in  two  worlds,  they  aecpted  in  return  large  pensions 
and  gilded  jirison  cells  in  Knneli  chateaux. 

As  coolly  as  if  he  w<'re  af)pointing  prefects  to  govern  French 

:::    1  SOS   u.ssiigned   Joaepii    lu   he   Kiui; 


,  .ji'i  I'f  ,,i,.i,f  ^-      V I. 


I'diniNi:  'IT UN'S 


207 


of  ripaiii  a?Hl  l]iii|'rn)i'  of  tlir  Two  Aiii.Ticiis.  iiiid  ordm.l 
Murnt  f"  iiinmit  ilir  tliiuii,'  i>\'  Naplrv  At  the  saiiu'  tiiiif.  as 
always  when  iiicdiiKual  m-^  a  ii'\s  .(Hiiitiy  in  liis  cmiiin*.  In- 
pa\t'  Spuiti  till'  lioori  ol"  ji  lili-raJ  ruiistitiilion  and  sniiriil  >,niai-an- 
tt'cs  of  n  Roviriiiiiint  inliintily  li.ttn-  tli.iii  it  -Mr  li;id  i<nn\vii. 
To  his  iistoiiisliiiiiiit  lir  liiuiiil  tiiat  the  Si>inii-li  |>iMi,,lr  cand 
muL'li  iiion-  fill-  lli'ir  I'lid'  tliaii  lur  ,iii>  [.nurn'ss  lir  could 
olVi-r  tlit'in.  Tli'V  jir- Inr.  .1  llhir  nun  ant  i.|  lat.d.  n|.pi.s 
nIvc  and  corriil't  ^'ovrrrnin  nt  to  aii.\  niodri n  iniproviMucnts 
iiitrndticcd  liy  a  fun'iL'iirr.  Inst;iiitl>  iishil:  in  a  I'rcn/y 
of  iiidiirnatinii  iit  \]\<-  insult  to  tlcif  nation.  \\\r\  i\r<\\  \\u\r 
kiiivi'S  and  f.it  fvcry  Fivnrli  throat  tnat  lay  liaff  to  thrir 
nvciitrrful  hands. 

Tliis  was  a  wimlly  iirw  cxi^i-i.nrr  for  Napoli-oii.  In  Italy 
,,i,i|  Iv.'.vpt  and  Poland  In-  liad  hattlnl  only  with  the  alim  op- 
pfrssiirs  ol"  the  jKipulation,  lo  whoin  ln'  pri'>rnti'd  hiinvrit  as  a 
lihiTator.  In  Austria  and  Prussia  hf  had  not  tou^'lit  the 
people.  Init  only  a  stupM  .ind  stitish  ai'istocracy. 

Will  n.  howrviT,  lie  ai'iTjitrd  tlir  tliallcn^'c  of  the  [>()pular  re- 
volt in  Spain  and  unddtook  to  ci'usli  a  people,  hr  d.  linitily 
ceased  to  h''  thr  cliaiiiiiion,  and  iici'aiiit'  iho  riiriny  of  (h mot  rai'y. 
In  the  picture  that  he  was  conteiniilatintr,  he  saw  himself  a 
.■^.M'ond  Charlcma^'iie  unitin<r  i'hii'ope  in  a  new  eie.pii'e  of  the 
west.  P)Ut  in  the  ten  centuries  since  tlu>  ("arlovin^'ian  I-;in|)ire 
WHS  founded,  nations  liad  risen  and  the  sentiniciit  of  patriotisni 
had  lieeoine  a  tni^lity  force  aiuon<r  men.  Napoleon  liimselt 
had  no  nation  and  had  urown  up  a  stranirer  to  |>atriotisin. 
liy  astraiiL'e  stroke  of  poetic  justice  he  liad  left  his  suhjufiati'd 
Corsica,  had  corupiered  its  coiKpierors  and  hroutrht  the  con- 
tinent under  the  rule  of  an  islamler.  His  army  was  a  medley 
of  nations  and  i-u-'s;  his  camp  a  liahel  of  tonLTucs.  Italians 
guarded  his  eajrles  on  the  dykes  of  the  Xonh  Sea;  Poles  hore 
them  through  the  passes  of  the  Pyrenees,  and  Spaniards 
patrolled  the  sandy  bounds  of  his  dominion  hy  the  Baltic. 

He  viewed  with  contemiit  the  ■•  .^age  fury  of  the  undisci- 
plined rahlile  that  had  set  all  S,  ■  ii  ahla/e.  ''He  tray."  he 
conHiinniled  Kin<r  doseph,  "anil  do  not  let  yourself  be  troti- 
i  !.  ,1  •■      !>.:,f   ;-.."..".r  .T.".-;!\l!   ennli!    !;."it    fair'lv   he  ex!)eeted   to   di'^- 


2GS 


I.\  THE  FOOTSTKP^^  OF  XAIYlLKoN 


pliiy  imicli  ir:iirty  )is  lie  found  liiiiisi 
;i  hiivdiict  and  cntliciiird  oi 


If  clrvati'd  on  llic  point  of 


I  a 


C('<_'  ol  ^'un|)OU(|rr, 


AVitl 


iin  nnic 


(lays  01  his  entry  into  liis  new  cajiital.  the  iiiiiKirtcd  Ki 


in  flijiht  northward  from  the   i 
his  kiii'rdoin. 


iitr  \v;i> 


t'licllious  hordes  that  overr; 


ui 


Had   that   inisfortmic  coino  sinirlv  it  would  h 


enou^'h. 


ave  hf'cn  had 


r 


hut  it  was  aci-onipaiiii'd  hy  a  di>astcr  that  stuniuHl  11 


iii|iri'oi-   and 


h'ft 


hiiii    sji.'cchh'ss   with    '_'rit 


aiu 


ra^'e. 


two  nr( 


A 
en 


reiieh  aniiy  undir  (iiiicral  Dupoiit  had  hiMn  rauixht  hetwe 
I'>.iylin.  in  Andalusia,  and  nearly  20.00(1  Freuc!)- 
liad    laid    down    their  anus   to   tiie   Si)auish    mobs   that 


men    lia( 


leiiiine 


d  th 


em  in. 


The  l^iiijicror  was  in  southern  France  wlien  he  was  strnik 
by  that  "l)low  of  fate."  as  lu-  called  it.  TlirouLrh  tliree  hour^ 
of  sih'iit  airoiiy  hi-  Ih-hj  thr  ditvful  news  in  Ins  breast,  without 


ISplllJ^ 

h 


liint  of  it,  unt 


II  at 


ast  plaintive  ei'ies  escaped  liis 


or  the  hrst  time  an  army  of  Xapoleon  had  surrender.-d. 


i-'or  the   lirsl    time   his   i 


mpM'ial   eagles,  bestowed  on  his  bat- 


talions by   his  own   iiaiids.   were  captives  in  the  liands  of  an 
enemy.     As    if  iJi-omjitly   to    point    the   prophecy   which   that 


event  heh 


another  ol  his  armies  surrendered  in  the  f. 


month  to  Sir  Arthur   Weil, 


OilOWlli!? 


sley,  in  tile  first  battle  bet 


French  force  and  the  destined  victor  of  Waterloo. 


ween  a 


The  future  Duk  ■  of  Wellini:ton  had  landed  an  EnHisl 


on  the  Portuguese  coast  to  r 


1  a  rill  V 


eoiieii  the  harliour  of  Lisbon  and 


drive  the  French  from  the  eountry.     Junot  had  mandied  out 
from  Lisbon  to  rep(d  him  with  an  inferior  force.     Then  for  tli 
first  time  sim 


Yorktown.  an  Enirlish  and  a  P'reiich  arniv  fa 


each  other  in  battle,  and  the  English  w 


CC(1 


on. 


The  F 


renc 


ulaled  and  agreed  to  aliamion  their  oc 


capit- 


cupation  of  Portugal. 


AVhile  the  Spaniards  were  placing  the  captured  eagles  nt 
Napoleon  among  the  treasures  in  tiie  cathedral  of  Seville,  tho 
amazing  report  of  tiieir  victory  and  the  English  victory  in 
Portugal  ran  throui^bout  iMirope  and  awakened  a  new  hope  in 
the  foes  of  the  Empire  everywhere.  Austria  trrew  iiolder  and 
more  urgent  in  the  war  preparations  wliicdi  she  had  1 


)een  ituit 


ing  ever  since 


.\iist 


erlitz. 


To  eclipse  the  thoughts  of  liis  n'cent  defeats  and 


rev 


ive  th' 


FORTrXK  TIKN^ 


•Ji?.) 


I 


iiiriiiorics  of  his  victorifs.  to  ('(iiivincr  tlio  Ilapsliurrjs  and 
;ill  otiier  restless  clpineiits  lli;it  tlic  compaft  of  Tilsit  still 
niitid  tlir  two  prcatrst  powers  of  Europe,  Napoleon  in- 
vited Ills  ally,  the  Czar,  to  meet  him  in  <"!(rniauy.  This  second 
mi'ctin^r  of  the  Kniperors  took  |)hii-e  in  t'.ie  early  autunin  of 
IsDS  at  I'^rfiirt,  where  Napoleon  and  Ah  -aiider  phiyed  Damon 
iiiiil  Pythias  before  a  t'(  tinue  of  four  kin<,'s  and  a  score  of 
pviiices  and  a  dozen  dukes,  who  humbly  wailed  ui)on  tiieir  im- 
i"  I'ial  majesties. 

llaNin^'  fortitieil  tlie  Franco-Russian  alliance.  Napoleon 
turned  to  face  the  Spanish  niohs.  Leavin^r  Pai'is  in  the  im- 
perial state  that  now  marked  his  fjoing  to  war,  fresh  horses, 
siMit  nil  ahead,  awaited  him  at  each  nine  oi'  ten  mile  stage  of 
the  journey.  Bertliier  sat  licsidi'  him  in  llie  ixr-at  lumheritit: 
(■(Kich,  witli  iron  tires  almost  as  broad  as  an  automol)ile"s.  In 
front  of  tlic  Kmperor's  seat  wli'nh  al  uiuht  was  converted  into 
a  lied  on  which  he  emdd  lie  at  full  length,  was  a  door  that 
cniild  lie  let  dmvn  and  emjiloyed  as  a  table,  while  behind  it  were 
ii;>'  drawers  and  juj-'eoidioles  of  a  complete  ofliee  dc>k. 

])nro<',  grand  marshal  of  the  i)alace  in  charge  of  all  the 
ti';iv(|lin<^'  arrangements,  galloped  on  one  side  of  the  carriage. 
(Ill  the  other  side  rode  Caidaincourt,  master  of  the  horse, 
with  the  majis  which  must  always  be  at  the  Emperor's  call. 
■file  horses  of  a  scoi'c  of  aides-de-camp  and  onhi'lies  prajieed 
ahout  the  vehicle,  with  four  pages  mounted  behind  and  on  top 
(if  it. 

At  the  rear  right  wheel  Roustan,  the  mameluke,  always  rode, 
with  a  luncheon  eVer  leady  to  be  served.  Beside  the  ojiposite 
wheel  rode  two  mounted  ehasMiirs  carrvini:  portfolios  tilled 
with  pa]iers.  E(iuerrl.  s  and  grooms  and  the  Emperor's  per- 
sonal stud  of  eight  or  ten  led  hor.ses  followed.  The  escort  con- 
Msted  of  a  detachin'  lit  of  chasseurs  of  the  (luai'd  and  whenever 
and  wherever  lb  Emperor  set  foot  four  of  tliem  with  drawn 
sahres  surrounded  him  in  a  square,  nimbly  jumping  this  way 
and  that  before  and  l)ehin<i  him  as  lie  walked  about. 

Oil  .1  melancholy  day  early  in  November  of  1808  this  caval- 
cade passed  into  the  sombre  land  of  the  Spaniards,  where  Na- 
I'oi.on  took  command  of  a  superb  army  of  more  than  200,000 


270 


IN  TIIK  FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLEON 


troops  to  coiifront  ITO.flOi)  Spniiiards  and  British.  For  Eufr- 
laiid  had  now  made  coiiniion  cause  witli  the  n'\oltiii<?  Spanish. 

As  the  Ktriprror  spid  toward  .Madi'id.  he  tii'ove  a  wedge  be- 
tween the  winirs  of  tlic  cni'niy's  army.  He  left  the  winsrs  iin- 
wo'Mided,  however,  anci  in  condition  to  nnite  and  tlap  to<rethcr 
a;,MMi.  .Mcanwiiile  no  scricjus  resistance  was  otl^Ted  to  his  ad- 
vaiii'e.  Tlie  nation  ])ai'ted,  to  U't  the  invader  pass,  as  a  sea 
parts  at  tlie  prow  of  a  ship,  but  only  to  close  in  when  he  was 
gone  and  leave  no  trace  of  his  passage. 

Entering  tlie  Spanisli  capital  in  less  than  four  weeks  from 
the  opening  of  the  campaign,  he  i)atted  the  mane  of  one  of  the 
wiiite  marble  lions  that  guard  tiie  grand  stairway  in  the  royal 
palace  and  exulted,  "I  possess  you  at  last,  the  Spain  I  desire!" 
i'ut  all  his  [jossessions  in  Spain  were  limited  to  mere  symbols  of 
power,  like  tiiose  lions  oi  the  stairway.  He  had  eonciuered 
roads,  and  castles,  and  palaces,  but  he  had  not  subdued  the 
peojde  anywhere. 

At  tlie  fall  of  their  city,  the  inhabitants  of  Madrid  haughtily 
drew  their  cloaks  about  them  and  in  silent  disdain  received 
the  coiKineror.  In  vain  he  proft'ered  his  unwilling  subjects  the 
solid  advantages  of  modern  institutions  ami  laws.  The  Span- 
ish people  would  accept  nothing  from  his  hand.  He  opened 
the  theatres  in  order  to  reawaken  the  gaiety  of  Madrid.  The 
Spaniards  would  not  enter  them.  For  days  hardly  a  woman 
appeared  in  the  streets,  and  the  gallant  invaders  sighed  in  vain 
even  for  a  glimpse  of  a  i)air  of  black  eyes  behind  the  grilled 
gater.  of  the  hou.ses.  The  Emperor  heralded  abroad  his  appear- 
ance at  grand  reviews,  t»ut  priile  overcame  curiosity  and  the 
]ieople  refused  to  come  out  to  see  the  most  extraordinary  per- 
sonage of  modern  times. 

Napoleon  was  organising  at  ]\Iadrid  an  expedition  to  drive 
the  English  out  of  Portugal,  when  30,000  British,  under  Sir 
John  ]\Ioore,  crossed  the  Portuguese  frontier  to  drive  him  ont 
of  Spain.  As  they  moved  straight  toward  his  communications, 
the  threat  at  once  diverted  him  from  his  Lisbon  campaign. 
Leaving  Madrid  in  mid-winter,  after  a  stay  of  three  weeks  in 
that  capital,  he  began  the  pursuit  of  Moore.  Afoot  in  a  storm 
of  haii  and  sleet  he  led  his  armv  over  the  Sierra  de  Guadar- 


»-| 


FORT  ex  I-:  TL'T^'^^S 


271 


raiiia,  whose  peaks  divide  old  Castille  i'rotii  new.  But  in  spite 
of  his  swift  marehes  the  English  escaped  him  and  were  well 
iiliiiig  in  tiieir  retr<'at  to  Conmna. 

Already  a  fresh  alarm  al)out  Austria  had  reealhd  him  from 
!iis  dreams  of  "plantiuf,'  his  eagles  on  the  towers  of  Lisbon.'" 
(nii.kly  turning  to  hurl  himself  against  the  walls  of  Vienna, 
biiii  miles  away,  he  abandoned  to  his  marshals  the  war  on  the 
[,.  niiisida.  General  Savary  with  diftieulty  kept  ahead  of  his 
master,  but  Duroo  and  Roustan  lagged  in  tiie  dust,  while  the 
Emperor,  with  a  solitary  aide-tle-camii  at  his  side,  spurred  on 
from  relay  to  relay  of  horses  in  his  raee  to  Paris. 


ClIAPTi:ii  XXXI IL 


HIS  LAST  VICTOHV 

18U'J      AGE   39—10 

AS  Xajnilroti  <,m11oiu(1  liark  to  Paris  on  lathered  liors("<, 
llic  tiaiiii's  of  til'  SpaIll^ll  revolution,  hurstin^if  toUii 
with  new  lury,  lit  up  the  southern  sky  i)ehind  nim. 
whil(>  the  eaiiip  tires  of  the  Austi'ians  lilazt  il  before  him  in  liir 
iHU'thei'n  sky.  lie  was  eauj^lit  lirtween  two  <j:!'eat  wars,  aiul 
must  now  takr  up  ai'ms  against  tiiat  sea  of  troubles  whereon 
he  was  to  batili  U)]'  six  years  with  the  ever-rising  waves  of 
disaster  which  at  la^l  wei'e  to  dash  him  upon  the  roek  of  St. 
Ilelona. 

At  four  o'l-loek  of  an  April  moriun?  in  ISO!),  the  Emperor, 
with  dosephine  beside  him  in  his  eoaeh,  started  for  the  fiMiit 
to  enter  upon  his  last  vielorious  eampaitrn.  After  leaving;  tin' 
Kmpress  at  Strasburir  and  makiiiLr  ealls  on  two  kin.ijrs  alonir  the 
way.  he  arrived  at  t!ie  headijuai'ters  of  his  army  in  nimty- 
soven  hours.  The  disfanee  from  Paris  by  rail  is  about  ■')Oii 
miles,  and  the  time  by  ex|)ress  train  to-day  is  twenty  hours. 

Napoleon  instantly  grasped  the  reins,  and  in  an  hour  hi"; 
eonriers  wei'c  spurring  their  horses  in  every  direction  with 
orders  designed  to  uinte  the  army  against  the  Austrian  forces. 
"  Activity  !"  "■  Activit\- !  "  "Rapidity!"  he  scrawled  in  ii 
postscript  to  ^la.ssena.  The  hills  and  valleys  everywhere  ran,' 
with  sahos  announeing  to  the  soldiers  that  the  (ireat  Capt.iin 
had  come. 

Tiiei'e  followed  one  of  the  most  brilliant  weeks  in  his  iiiili- 
ihvy  life.  Aflci'  lighting  four  or  live  battles  in  as  laany  da}s, 
lie  stood  at  the  briidv  of  the  mo.it  around  the  medi:eval  walls 
of  liatisbon,  when  he  was  struck  in  the  ri'.dit  heel  by  a  loni:- 
range  'i'yrolean  I'itle.     Although  the  liall  "scarcely  razed  th'' 


TTI.^  LAST  VICTOKV 


273 


tonrlon  Acliillos, "  li(>  assured  Josrphiiif  in  a  letter,  it  inflicted 
I  I  111  ill  I'll  1  stiiii:. 

As  he  sat  oil  a  (Iriiiii.  while  a  stirseon  dressed  tlio  wound, 
;liiiii-;inds  of  ids  soldiei's  liroke  raiii<s  and  siii'i'ounded  him,  iii- 
(littViTiit  to  tile  Austrian  ^uns.  which  wefe  iM-ltinir  the  exeiti  (I 
assfiiilila^'e.  To  disperse  the  ^'roup  and  reassure  the  army,  he 
iiiniuiled  his  horse  and  rode  down  the  lines  on  waves  ol'  elieer.s. 
Pausing' before  eai-h  eommand.  he  called  npeii  the  eniumanders 
to  name  the  men  under  them  deser\iiiir  (d'  special  honours. 
Privates  and  corjiorals  and  scr<reants  were  ti'anst'onued  there 
on  the  field  into  kni<rlits  ol'  the  j-jupiie  and  chevaliei's  of  the 
Lciiion  nf  Honour.  That  extraordinary  re\iew  under  fin? 
Iiavin,'  been  tinished,  lie  ordered  the  scalinj.'  ladders  .,Lraiii>t 
the  cM  town  wall  and  returned  to  ins  hillock,  where  as  lirowu- 

j  portrays  hiiu 

A   Miilc  or  so  away  on   a   littl.-  nieiiiKJ. 

Xa|ii>li-i)ii   stood    oil    our   ^tniniitiLr   ilay, 
With     IH'i-k    OUttlini>t,    voll     ta?hy     liow; 

Lt>i.'8   wide,  arms   IcK'kcd    iHliind 
As  if  to  lialunc't'  tlie  ])roMr  hrow 

Dpjiicssivc  witli    Ills  iiiiiid. 

One  week  after  the  Em{)eror's  arrival  at  headquarters,  he 
v.as  within  the  fortress  walls  of  Hatishon,  and  the  Austrian 
Aivjiduke  Charles  was  nintiiiijj  off  into  the  wilds  of  Bohemia. 
Til.'  victorious  invaders  poured  down  the  valley  in  a  torrent 
liiiit  overwhelmed  all  the  stron-rholds  on  the  road  to  Vienna. 
While  N'apoleon  was  ridinir  with  Herthier  and  (.anues  one  day, 

'•  siw  the  towers  of  the  old  eastle  of  Dirnstein  reaching  sky- 
'Aard  from  its  rock  hesiile  the  Danube.  As  he  pointed  to  the 
;''U( fs,  he  told  his  companions  the  story  of  an  emperor  that 

"'1  tivacherously  imprisoned  within  those  castle  walls,  Rich- 
'fi  <'ieur  de  Lion,  who,  like  th(  niselves,  had  foufrht  at  the 
i.Mte  of  Acre. 

'"How  far  removed  are  we  now  from  those  barbarous  times  !" 
'i'' e.xclaimed.  "I  have  hiid  jirinces,  kiturs.  and  emperors  in 
!ay  power,  and,  far  from  takiiiir  away  their  liberty,  I  have  not 
'xacted  a  sinjirle  sacrifice  of  their  honour.  Would  they  do  as 
i-'U'li  for  ineT'     The  party  rode  on  in  silence,  the  Emperor's 


■2-[  IN  Till':   rooTSTKrs  OF  NATOLHON 


pa/.'  still  tix'.l  iipoii  ihr  f.'isllrd  ruin,     lint   in  his  r.'Vcrir  lir 
hahlv    (Ihl    nut    .Ircain    linw    much    h'ss   kiinl    I'atr   couhi   hr. 


proua 
even  ill 
Dirnstfin  ! 


a   laliT  tinif,   than   it    was   to 


Kichafd   the  captive  ot 


Al  !hr  o\<  liiiLr  of  the  cainpiiiL'n.  thr  i'".nii)iT()r  Francis  willi 
his  court  haU  jdUiiic.N  d  to  the  front  to  mjoy  the  confide, itly 
expected  triuuiiih  of  his  anus  over  the  eoiKiueror  of  Auster- 
lit/..  I'A-eii  as  the  army  fell  hack  in  th.e  lir-t  days,  mish-adiiiL' 
reports  (if  victories  had  stiinulateil  the  spirits  of  the  Viciuics-' 
ami  of  the  imi)erial  family  at  the  capital. 

When  sh.'  heai'd  the  false  news  of  victory,  the  yoiiup  Anli- 
dueluss  .Marie  Louise,  who  hail  already  hen  twice  driven  from 
her  home  hy  Napoleon,  wrote  this  pathetic  and  childish  letter  to 
her  father,  the  Kniperor: 

We  have  hennl  with  (lehuht  tluit  Napoleon  was  i)roscnt  at  the  ^rcat 
l)attle  wliH-h  the  French  l"st.  ^hiy  he  lose  lii^-  head  as  well!  Tlu'iv 
ai-e  a   -real    man..-  lu-nplucies  ahout  his  speedy  end.  and  pei>plc  say 

lliai    ilic  Al alypse   applies  m   him.     They  say  he   is  coinu-'  to  .lie 

till-,  vear  .It    (nlnmie  in  an  inn  called  tli.'   Red  Crawtish.     1  dn  r.u' 
altacli   niueli  imporiance  tu  tliese  iiru]dieeies,  but  Imw  iilad  I 
be  t"  see  lliem  OOUie  true! 


iKUll' 


Napoleon  had  announced  to  his  army  at  Ratisbon  that  lir 
wouUl  be  in  Vienna  in  a  month.  In  less  than  three  weeks  he  wa> 
datinc-  his  orders  from  Schilnh.rtinn,  the  jiahice  of  the  Ilap.s- 
bur^'s.  There  he  strolled  in  the  leafy  lanes,  for  which  Man>' 
Louise  was  si;_'hinj.'  in  her  bainshment,  and  he  slept  in  the  veiy 
room  where  in  the  yel  veiled  future  lier  son  and  his  was  t" 
lanimish  and  die  in  exile. 

lie  was  once  more  master  of  tlie  Austrian  capital,  as  in  F^H'- 
No  sooner  had  he  entered  the  city  than  he  opened  a  cainpaiLru 
that  remains  unique  in  the  history  of  warfare.  He  was  still 
confronted  liy  the  armv  of  the  Archduke  Charles.  Between 
them  flowed  the  Danube,  the  bridges  over  which  had  bcim 
destroyed  by  the  Austrians  as  tho,^'  evacuated  the  city. 

The"  mountainous  banks  of  the  upper  Danube,  rising  almost 
sheer  Hon  and  IdoO  feet  on  either  side,  often  shut  it  in  a  narrow 
bed.     Those  clill'-like  walls  give  way  as  tlu'  rivet   approadits 


Ills  LAST  VICTOKV 


275 


\'i.'iiiia,  1111(1  its  i)rnt   u|i  waters  Imr 


st  upoti  and  spread  over  a 


L'nat  pi 


;iiii 


the  .Marclili 


liiniiiii''  IlnTi'  a  rt'iiia 


rkal 


taiii 


i>laiiils. 


Sfi/iiii,'    upon    tliosc    islands    as    strp|)in<r    stones, 


Nii[)ok'on,  witli  Ins 


ustoiiiarv  iMiiidity.  tlinw  IthI^tn  ol 


lioats 


1  roiii 


more 


islai 
tl 


id  to  island  a   h'W  im 


Irs  lirlow  tile  'dtv.      Ill   liardl.^ 


niiii'i 


li  1 
Altlion 


laii  a  wt'i' 
li^  anii>'  ai 


alter  Ids  captiin 


N'irnna.  he   lieu'aii    to 


I'OSs  to  tile  nolMllel'H   liaiik. 


lie 


ot 


Hull    0 


tlir 
car 


<^'li   witliin  sitrlit  of  tin-   r>y/antiiie  domes  and  towers 
great  eily  of  Vienna,  wideli  has  L'rown  from  a  popuia- 
f'^20l).0tt()"  to  more  than  2.0()0,0(1().  the  liistorie   i>hun  of 
.Ahirelifieid  remains  to-(hiy,  witli  the  .■xeejilion  of  a  street 
line,  the  same  simph'.  (piiet  eountry  side  that  it  was  when 

lii'oke  its  stillness  in 
liehl 


attle  of  the  empires  Imrst  upon  it  and 


tile  lirst  deeade  of  the  nineteenth  century.    The  widi-.  open 


iviiiir  in 


now 


front  of  the  di'^olate  woode(i 


island  of  liohau  is  even 


r  dedicated  to  military  use,  hut  not  to  a  coml 


at  of  foot  and 

lior.se,  as  in  \^W.     The  hiur,  uiiL'ainly  lianyar  of  the  Austrian 

n  the  meailow.  and  out  of  its  harndike  dooi-  such 

war  sail  into  the  air  as  would  have  struck  Nai>oleon 


ariiiv  rises  i 


L'liariot 


S  01 


(Imnh  with  amazement. 
1  that  ••rtu'lfeh 


'\'OII( 


frniii  Lillian, 


(111 


(lercf 


the  Danulie.  and  a  mile  or  more 
two  little  stone  villatjes  dot  tlu'  plain.     The  one 
1  tlie  one  on  the  left  Aspern.     Na- 
to  seize  those  hamlets  and 


the  vi(_dit  is  Essling  an 


Ins  advancin'T  lorces 


5ton(!  eottaiz'es  ai 


id  stone  walls  into  forts. 


poleon  or 
toiivert  tJK 
The  Archduke  Charles  stood  on  the  erowu  of  the  Hisamherg, 

which  lifts  itself  lik( 
Marchiield,  when  he  .;aw   his  ai 
the  gaun 


c:raiidstand  at  the  upper  end  of  the 
idaeious  anta^'onist  thus  east 


tlet  at  his  feet.     Charles  eap'rl; 
fhallenge  of  an  army  divided  hy  a  river. 
Oiilv  ;50,000 


aec( 


pted   the   hold 


rellcll    liad 


crossed,  when 


scended  the  plain  in  live  t 
U|)on  their  left  am 


the   Archduke  de- 

oluinns  and  hurled  SO.dOd  Austrians 

1  right  wings  at  Aspern  and  Kssling.     Na- 


iM.leoi-.  sat  in  the  Itriekyard  at  Essling  while  ^Marshal  Lanues 

lich  heset  that  town.      Si.\  times 


boat  otT  th  ■  storm  of  hattle  w 

in  that  Mav  afternoon.  Aspern  w; 


tosse(l  hack  and  forth  lik( 


a  ha 


\Vh 


en  n 


cht  fell,  the  French  and  the  Austrians  were  elii 


iclleil 


i 


276 


IX  TlIK  FOOTSTEP.^  OF  NAPOLEON 


V  n  Win- 


in    flio   fliiiivhynn]   sfpinrr   of    A^p  rn    ;,;i(i   only    l.rnk 
to  bivoiino,  l.>;ivin<r  thrir  oiil|)osts  at  njiposito  cihls  of  tli.'  vil- 
lapo,  to  plarc  at  one  aiintlier  amuml  the  street  corners.     X 
poleon  Jiiniself  l;iy  tliroiitrli  the  nij/iit  in  tlie  <;rass  hv  the  hri(i.i 


urjrini;  on  the  reinl'or- 


Onee  the  hri(l<.'e  lii'oki-  iniiier  the  jir 


•iiieiits  I'rodi  the  other'  siilf  of  tlie  ri 


\rr. 


el 


irreiit.  hut  the  rickef\  sti'uetur 


1 'SMI re  ( 


)f   til 


e    SwifteliiriL' 


W 

(id 


'e  was  fastened  to<,'ethrr  a' 


len,    at    two   o'rlock    in    the   morninir    CI 


suddenly  hclched  fire  in  the  dark 


larl.s'   hatter 


am. 

iis 


streams  upon  Massena's  coimi 
ordy  fj.l.ooo  I<'i'|.rii'h  to  fac 


ness  and  poured  their  I 


lV;i 


Hand  in  Aspern,  there  wet 


V  in  a 


\l 


him. 


ivout,  til.'  lion  of  Auersta.lt  and  Eekmiil 


Ilavintr  received  word  tl 


his  assistanc(\  Xapoh'on  ordered  I 
themselves  u()on  the  Austrian  ceiitn 

Seeing'  liis  line  between  the  villaj,'cs  lireak 


lat 


li,  was  orossiri"  to 


janiies  and  Hessieres  to  tin 


\i\\ 


Charles   seized    an    Austt 
dashed   forth   heneath   it 


ian    flajr  and.   witl 


inj,'  under  the  hlow. 


1    reckless   dariiu 


«  wavinjr  fohh,  ami   rallied   and 
ins  troops  forward.     As  so  often  happene.l  in  the  old  warf 


the  ti 


Ue 


of 


a  <;reat  battle  was  turned   I 


Archduke's  gallantry  at  that 


>y  one  man.  am 


m 


omeiit  is  celebrated  in  a  sj)irit. 


statue  whicii  stands  in  the  centre  of  Vienna. 

While  Na{)oleon  was  e.xertinn:  hims.'lf  to  stea.iv  his  lines  a^ 
they  fell  back,  he  received  the  appallin^r  „ews  that  the  Danul.c 
had  risen  m  his  rear.  Nature  had  cut  his  communications. 
Ihe  miL'hty  river  was  hoominc,'  with  a  spring  freshet,  which, 
sweeping  trees  and  boats  from  its  banks,  hurled  tliem'a'Miii>* 
the  mam  pontoon  of  the  French,  between  Liibau  and  tiu> 
^  icnna  shore.  As  this  great  bridge  was  smashed  and  swept 
away  in  the  thunderous  torrent,  Davmit  with  his  armv. 
stood  by  the  opposite  shore  a  helpless  spectator  of  his  Em- 
peror's desperate  plight.  Even  the  ammunition  supplies  were 
cut  off,  for  nothing  could  be  ferried  over  the  swollen  waters. 

Napoleon  was  eonipellcd  to  sound  retreat  for  the  first  time 
sin.'e  he  was  turned  back  from  the  wills  of  Acre.  And  now 
a  flood  threatened  him  with  greater  [lerils  than  lit  met  in 
the  arid  desert.  Even  if  the  frail,  creaking  bridge  from  the 
Asj)e-n  shore  to  Ldban  withstood  the  bulfets  of  the  angn- 
river,  he  still  must  beat  off  the  victorious  foe  th.>  remnindrV 


Ills  LAST   VICTORY 


277 


•il! 


■  f  ilir  iiioriiiii^'  aiul  throutrliout  iln-  iiftcrnoon.  in  ordrr  to  ^,'l•t 
1.  ims  of  tliousaiuls  of  incii  ovit  to  tlic  island  luulcr  cover  ot 
ilai'kiu'ss. 

Massi'iia,  afoot  and  .sword  in  hand,  held  back  the  Austrians 
,,11  day  at  the  Aspcrn  churcli,  and  the  statue  of  a  lion  wiiich 
:,,A  Mauds  in  the  cinirchyard  even  more  fittin^'ly  expresses  liis 
,i,lriire  than  the  Austrian  victory  which  it  was  erected  to 
rdinmeinorate.  Meanwhile  Lannes  faced  the  Austrian  centre 
a!,:i  i.ani''(l  its  blows  until  he  had  only  'MO  grenadiers.  His 
li,,!s.s  were  dead  and  his  cartrid^'cs  f.'one.  Hut  in  a  uiessa^'e 
to  the  Emperor  he  gave  his  plcdu'e,  "I  will  hold  out  to  the 
last."  And  he  lel-  the  field  only  wiieii  borne  otT  dying.  A 
.;,iiiirui  ball  rolling  along  the  ground  liad  given  him  his  thir- 
LMith  battle  wound  and  carried  away  both  legs. 

Wlieu  the  sun  had  gone  down  at  last  on  a  day  of  frightful 
sac'itiees,  the  retreat  to  Liibau  was  made  in  the  sluidow  of 
iii'.'ht.  In  thirty  hours  of  fightint:,  the  Austrians  had  lost  more 
tl.iin  -JD.OOO  men,  and  the  French  (luite  as  many  from  their 
>i:iallfr  force. 

Sdoti  secret  messengers  were  speeding  throughout  the  Em- 
[lirr  and  whispering  the  ncw.s  that  the  child  of  destiny  had 
ivicivcd  a  parental  chastisement,  that  the  favourite  of  for- 
I'liH'  was  not  invincible.  Two  of  his  annics  liad  surrendered 
uitliin  a  year,  and  now  even  he  himself  had  been  defeati'd. 
';r.at,  if  silent,  was  the  rejoicing  in  Oermany  and  wherever 
ail  inijicrial  eagle  perched  above  a  subjugated  people. 

Napoleon,  however,  was  moving  with  no  less  decision  and 
\i'-'oiir  to  repair  a  defeat  than  if  he  were  taking  measures  to 
-finplrte  a  victory.  lie  at  once  set  his  army  to  the  task  of 
iniKiucring  the  Danube,  while  ho  summoned  reinforcements 
from  every  quarter.  At  the  end  of  six  arduous  wonder- 
wnikiiig  weeks,  he  had  200,000  sobliers  at  Vienna  and  was 
ready  to  make  good  his  boast  that  "the  Danube  exists  no 
more." 

.\  bridge  of  sixty  arches  and  wide  enough  for  tlircc  carriages 
to  j.ass  abreast  had  been  completed  to  L.ibau  :  another  bridge 
ciglit  feet  wide  had  been  constinicted  on  piles,  and   a  third 


■ridge 


jrmed 


„e  u. 


V.<l«li1  1  Y 


Tlio  ni'iiiv   tl'.'is  fin 


278 


IN   Till:   FOOTSTKI'8  OK   NAI'OLKr  )N 


July  1  I'ould  iiilvnnco  in  tlirtT  coluinns.  and  on  tliat  day  tin 
I^iiipcror  liiiiiscir  pitclird  his  tent  on  tln'  trr'-at  island.     'I'lifi 


['■i\ 


dri'ssci 

noitri'i 


■i'L;i'aiits,  lir  and  Mai'slial  Massrua  |ici'snnally  ri 


fill'   nortlit'i'ii    lianU   of   tl 


liver,   niKlt 


r   tl 


IC     ('\CS    ol 


Austrian  sriiti'ii's,  who,  sicintr  iIiimm  (aki-  oil"  tlu'ir  coats,  witi' 
not  unkind  cnouirh  to  iiH.)lfst  two  coiiirnon  soldiers  out  for  a 
l.ath. 

The  next  deception  pei'iietrated  upon  tin-  enemy  was  a  mop' 


scnouH  one 


lindLTe  was  thrown  across  trom 


Liil 


lan  on  tl 


111 


ne 


iri' 


SJtc  of  tilt'  old  lii'idi,'e  in  the  Aspei'ii-Ksslin;- 

duke  diaries,  tlicrefore,  ju'epared  for  a  reiiewel  of  the  stni;,'^ 

on  the  same  lines  as  !i.  lure.      I'-ut  in  two  hours  of  the  dark 


lUliI 


sforniy  ni^rlit  of  .lul>'  4,  six  pontoon  lir'id'_'es  were  thrown  aemss 
from  the  farther  end  of  the  island  without  attractiiiL;  the  tin' 


ir  even  tlie  attention  of  the  fo 


I  >\'  noon  III 


luiv  .), 


X 


ipoleon  stood  on  tlie  Marohfiold  api 


nil. 


It  this  time  with  1M).()()()  men  behind  him  and  onlv  HO.niln 


Au.strians  in   front  of 


mm. 


Swee[)in^'  around   Charles'  wi 


coiistrueted  eiitreiiehmeiils  ahout    AsiieiTi,   lie  aimed   his  hlow 


straight  at  the 


villi 


of  \Va>rram.  nearly  ten  miles  across  thi' 


plain  from  the  for'nier  lialtlelield.  His  oliject  was  to  striki^ 
the  left  wiiitr  of  the  Austrians  in  that  villaire  and  out  off  an- 
other army  which  was  then  hurrying  to  the  aid  of  Charles. 

The  liattle  did   not  lieszin  until  seven  in  the  ev.Miin?.     Al- 
tliouL'h  Marshal  Hernadotte  wuli  his  (ierman  troops  succeeded 


in  capturing 


\Vi 


u'rani,  thev  lost  it  in  a  few  minutes,  am 


d  Xi 


poleon  hivouaidced  that  nifrht  with  one  more  defeat  recnnleii 
aLraiiist  him.  Still  he  was  up  at  lireak  of  day  and  the  real 
Hattle  of  Wairram  was  in  full  fury  as  early  as  four  o'clock. 

More  than  ;?()n, ()()()  men  were  trampling'  the  tall   wheat  of 
the  Marclilield  and  wrestlint^  for  the  pos.sessioii  of  the  littli' 
ottat,n's  which  constituted  the  hamlet  of  Wasr- 


c luster 


■;toiie 


ram.     Fired    by   their    repeated    successes,    the    Austrians  at 


once 

o'eloi 


too 


the  offensive  and   held   it    for  six   hours.     At  ti' 


■k  lb 


aw  the  hd't  winir  of  the  T 


reiich  army  cnimplinu' 


and  openiiitr  the  way  toward  the  brid<res.     If  they  could  seize 


tl 


le  hri( teres,  a 


fatal 


IllOW    WOUH 


1  be  dealt  the  enemv's  lines. 


r\apii!eon  iiiel   liiai  ]i(-ni(jus  suualiou  lioi  only  by  streujiiiien 


Ills  LAST  \1<   |i»l;\' 


279 


ini?liis  li'l't  \miil;-.  l>nt  ;il-(.  Iiy  liriniriim'  u\>  inii  u'lm.  aihl  irniii- 
iugtlu'iii  .It  hair  laii^Ji- oil  tlic  Austriiiii  .riitiv.  'I'lic  tlltrt  was 
il,..  same  as  a  liravy  blow  nii  tiic  <Tiitir  n[  \\\r  liuiiiaii  aiiatniiiy. 
lii,.  triuiiipliaiit  Aiistnaii  army  sl(i|i|.r(l,  wiiulr.l.  ■rii.n  Na 
l>oli-on  moved  foiwar.l  tu  turn  CliarLs'  1,'tt  at  Watrram.  toward 
utiidi  Davout  ami  .Mardoiiald  \<us\\v,\  tliroii^'li  hla/iiiu'  whrat 
lirlds.  wliiTf  all  wlio  frll  wciv  <r.iiiatcd  ill  thr  tiaiifs.     At  two 

o'clock,  diaries.  .'Ut  otf  Ifom   hope  of  tviiiroi imnts,  was  in 

ivtrt'iit  towani  the  north   comitiy.     Om-c   moiv     and   for  the 
i;ist  time — Na|)()lfoii  had  hrou^^'iit  lu  a  uluso  a  victorious  cam- 

pai'^n. 

The  .M.iivhiirld  was  strewn  with  the  liodi-'s  of  nearly 
.')(l.(l()0  dead  and  wounded,  eipially  ili\ided  hdween  the  two 
armies.  .Nearly  a  humlivd  thousand  lueu  had  faneii  on  tliat 
liitle  plain  in  six  weeks  and  twenty  villa-es  had  lieeii  wrecked, 
to  determine  which  of  two  nations  siiould  jiossess  diNtant  lands 
that  hclont'ed  to  neitliei-, 

Altliouuii  Napoleon  had  l)eeii  in  tiie  liehl  three  months,  he 
liuil  not,  a^  in  otlier  campaigns,  overwhelmed  and  destroyed  the 
dU'iny.  lie  was  content  to  accept  an  armistice  while  Charles' 
army  still  horc  alo.t  tiie  liaiuier  of  .\iistria. 

For  already  lie  was  pluimed  into  still  another  war,  with  a 
cdurt  older  even  than  that  of  Vienna,  with  an  emiure  far  wid.'r 
tliaii  thai  of  the  Ilapshiirps.  By  liis  command,  the  soldiers  of 
Kinj-  .Miirat  had  entered  Rome,  planted  the  eaizles  of  the  new 
Tasar  on  the  Castle  of  St.  Ane;elo  and  drawn  up  a  hatt-MW 
iicfnre  the  door  of  the  (^uiriual,  then  the  palace  of  Pope 
I'ius  VII. 

To  control  tlie  ports  of  the  i'apal  States  a^'ainst  the  British, 
Napoleon  had  first  annexed  tiie  upper  states  to  the  kintrdom  of 
Italy.  The  Pajiacy  still  refiisiii<r  to  join  the  continental  union 
a'.'aiiist  Kii'^'land,  the  Kmperor  next  swept  away  entirely  its 
temporal  sovereignty.  Thereupon  I'ius  retorted  with  a  hull 
cxcommunicatin<j;  and  anatliematisin^'  all  who  took  part  in 
despoiling  the  Holy  See. 

While  the  hosts  of  Napoleon  and  Charles  were  slecpintr  on 
their  arms  before  Vienna,  a  commander  of  geiularmeri.'  broke 
i!e>wn  the  doors  and  stalked  into  the  Qiiirinal  on  the  nielit  of 


280 


I\  tin:   footsteps  OI'  NAI'oUIoN 


•Iiily  .•  (),  wlicrc  till'  !*(i|H',  wi'iiriiiL'  Ins  inOTiottii  ;iii(l  stolo,  n.'- 
siiriicdly  ;iuailr(l  In-,  f.iir.  In  il,c  n.iini'  of  iln-  Kmpiror.  I'lij^ 
was  (•(iiiiiiijiiiilrd  to  rciiuiiiiri'  his  iciiiporal  s()Vrri'i<;iity,  and 
iipnii  his  i-cfiisiil,  he  was  I'lartil  uiiihr  arrest,  lie  a>!ccii  oiily 
I'm-  two  hours  in  uhirh  to  iir-rp.iiT  for  his  lirpartiii'i' ;  hut  tiu^ 
iTspitf  was  (h'iiit'(L 

'I'akinu'  with  hitii  tiothiui,'  hut  his  lircviary  ami  his  rru'-i',,i, 

thr     l'('|ic    cMli f^rrd     ,  I'olll     the    pahlcT,    ami    silently     i)lessei|    tlh' 

sleepiiii;  city,  'i'iieii  steppiiij^  into  tile  eoaeh  pfo\  ided  for  Imn. 
its  <loofs  Were  locked  and  his  iinprisoniiient  had  heiruu.  Winn 
the  sun  rose  aliovc  the  Sahiiie  Hills  and  irleatned  on  the  d.inh' 
of  St.  i'eter's.  the  hrir  of  the  l-'islieriiia u  was  heiui^'  hurn  ■'! 
away  in  his  jirisoii  van  toward  his  captivitx  at  Savona,  tin- 
Savona  from  whidi  .Napoleon  himself  rode  out  one  mooiilitrlit 
ni'lht  to  huist  into  fame  on  the  heiirhts  of  .Mnnteuotte.  .NdW 
it  was  to  heeonie  a  station  on  his  path  to  St.  Helena. 

^Mflioutrh  the  Kmperor  pointed  the  ari'est  of  I'ope  IJoni- 
face  and  i'ope  ('huK  iit  \'ll  hy  IMiilippi'  le  lie!  and  Charles  \' 
as  Ills  warrant,  the  Christian  world,  rei^ardless  of  sert,  viewed 
his  carrying,'  olV  of  I'ius  as  the  most  unwarranteil  of  his  acts, 
'i'lie  I'ajial  States,  it  is  true,  were  like  a  wedu'e  in  his  empire, 
eultiiiir  olV  the  kiiiL'tlom  of  .\aples  from  the  kiuL'.lom  of  Italy 
liut  he  had  already  annexed  those  states  of  the  church,  ainl 
his  arrest  of  the  a-rcd  I'ontil'f  could  not  he  jii.'-ti'ied  on  tli'' 
lowest  ^'rounds  of  policy.  It  was  atiother  deeil  that  nierit'il 
the  cynic's  censure  as  soretliin^'  worse  than  a  crime — it  wasu 
blunder. 

Nap(jleon'.s  nogoliatinns  meanwhile  with  the  Kmperor  Fran- 
cis drajT'-'cd  their  slow  pace  throu<jh  the  summer.  He  iiaJ 
struck  olF  a  spurious  issue  of  Austrian  hank  notes  amounting' 
to  .$60,()00,()(M),  and  was  prepared  to  flood  and  hankriipt  lii'' 
cotmtry  with  them  when,  in  October,  Francis  tardily  yield.'! 
to  his  terms.  To  ransom  his  capital,  the  Austrian  Ein|)er<ir 
fxave  up  territories  having'  a  poj)ulation  of  :3.."i()(),0l)0  and  pai'l 
a  war  indemnity  of  4*16,000,000,  besides  a^eeinyr  to  the  im 
iniliatinrr  condition  tliat  lie  should  disband  half  his  army.  By 
I  his  latest  eessJMn,  a  part  of  Austrian  Tolaiid  was  t  i-ansferred 


»»lilLll        *V  tl-T       14H1.H'1        lUl-       OU  ■ 


Ills  LAST   VI<  T()i;V 


2S1 


hii- 
Tred 


(•ri'itrnty  of   lln'    Kin^'  nf   Sii\on\,   iniil    ilic    t'n,nti<'rs   of   the 
kin<.'il"iiis  of  liavaria  iiinl  It.ily  wiiv  tiuiviil  rlnsn-  to  N'irnna. 

Tin-  fiiiy  after  tlu'  a<,'i-i'<'iiirnl  ujf^  iiiailr  a  mi^^'lily  cxplDMoii 
sluMik  N'ifiiiia  liki'  an  rafllniiiaki'  atid  left  its  walls  in  iiiiiis. 
Not  satisfiril  with  tlir  t-rdurt  ion  of  tli"  .\ii>ti-ian  army.  Na 
[Hilcoii  liad  ordfnd  tiiat  tln'  Austrian  capit'il  he  disaaiitlrd. 
Till'  ViriiUfSc  Wfri'  LTi'atly  (iiitrau'rd  hy  tlif  lilowiiitr  up  of 
tln'ir  ramparts,  hut  tinn'  and  art  have  hrah'd  the  \vniind  l-'or 
wlit-ro  till'  Uixly  hastions  onrc  roM'  and  rmirclrd  tin'  town,  tin' 
Kiiijr,  that  uuiqiii'  and  hrautil'ul  j)rniiirnadr.  now  winds  its 
nohli' way,  and  is  hcfonii'  thr  jiroudcst  hoast  of  tin-  pri'sciit-day 
Vii'iina. 

As  Napoleon  was  levejlintr  the  old  wall  of  N'ieima,  a  new- 
wall  was  hein','  raised  in  Franec.  Orders  had  iniin-  from  hiui 
wliilo  he  was  at  Scht'inhrunn  that  the  |iti\ate  pa^>ai.'e  hctwrrii 
Iiis  apartments  and  the  Kmpress'  in  the  palaee  of  Fontaiiic- 
lileau  should  he  closed.  The  hammers  of  the  workmen  on  that 
piirtition  nally  knelled  the  doom  of  Josephine. 

Tlit'  comiuest  of  Kiirope  havin<r  been  completed,  the  eon- 
iHieror  had  determined  at  last  to  divorce  his  wife  and  seek  in 
a  new  union  an  heir  to  perjietuate  his  empire.  The  walls  of 
VieUMa  still  lay  in  a  lieaji  four  months  after  Napoleon 's  depar- 
tiiri'  from  the  city,  when  Berthier,  Prince  of  \Va<:jr<im,  climlied 
nviT  them  to  demand  from  the  Kmperor  Francis  anotlicr  prize 
of  vic'ory.  the  hand  of  his  dauLrhter,  the  Arididuchoss  Mari»^ 
Louise,  in  marriage  with  Napoleon. 


CTfAPTKIi  XXXIV 

THE  rXCOXQlKl.'KI)  SKX 

SOME  on(>  luis  iiiado  the  dispovcrv  that  Shakespeare   al- 
'li"nL'h   hr  lia.l    l.-j.lMH)  u„nls  in   his  vnrabularv,  had  to 
ivp.at    tlic   term    love    l.KK)   times  in   the   -ourse  of  liis 
matclih'ss  story  of  the  human  rare.     Vet  that  inagie  little  won! 
lias   no    plae.'    ni    tl;e    i)io-rai)hy   of   Xapoleon.     In   the  most 
••rowded  lile  that  i-xvr  was  li\,-,l,  one  chapter  was  left  blank. 

Xot  that  the  (iivat  Captain  was  a  misogvnist.  It  is  reallv 
aina/nitr  to  eontemplate  the  time  and  attention  I)estowed  unoii 
womankind  hy  this  busiest  man  the  woi'ld  ever  saw  It  is 
hardly  ueeessary  to  hr.ik  back  to  those  flamin-  messages  to 
Josephine  from  tiiat  first  Italian  eampai-n,  when  the  Little 
Corporal's  pulse  l)eat  hi-hcr  for  love  than  for  glory  The 
flames  subsided,  it  is  true.  l)ut  not  l).>eause  the  fire  burnt  out' 
It  was  only  smothered.  When  the  bitter  eynie.  Marmont,  tells 
us  that  "never  did  a  purer,  truer  or  more  exelusive  love  till 
a  man's  heart  or  th..  h..art  of  so  extraor.linary  a  man,"  we 
(■aniKit  ask  lor  a  more  ei'edible  witne.ss. 

Xo  woman  seems  to  have  touelied  that  heart  without  leavin- 
upon  It  an  nieffa. cable  impression.  :\IIle.  Colombier,  the  liltir 
girl  who  picked  cherries  with  the  sublieutenant  at  Valeiiee 
"'■'■ded  only  to  addivss  the  Emperor  to  have  him  open  wi,!>' 
his  cornucopia  above  h.'r  no  longer  youthful  or  con.elv  head 
and  shower  upon  her  a  post  of  honour  as  ladv  in  waiting  at 
the  court  of  Mine.  .Meiv  and  upon  her  husband  a  liarony,  with 
comfortable  emolunmnts.  Another  maid  of  Valeiice,\vhose 
snule  had  cast  a  faint  ray  upon  his  nielancholv  path  hv  the 
Hhone.  found  hers,.|f  ehnatrd  to  the  station  of  ladv  in  waitins.' 
to  the  Empress,  and  her  husband.  M.  de  .Montaliv,"t,  appointed 
a  memb..r  ot  the  ntini^t.y  and  a  count  of  the  Em|>iiv 

lie  bore  everything  from  and  did  everything  for  his  most 

:iS2 


THE  UNX'OXQIT.RED  SEX 


283 


ami  cousins.     "Tlortonse,"  lie  said,  in  liis  adiuirHtiou 
iiist'|)lii!io".s  dr.uprhtcr.  "forces  me  to  helicve  in  virtue." 


t'aitliloss  and  useless  marshal  because  he  was  the  husband  of 
Ooiree  Clary,  a  sweetheart  of  his  own  young  manhood,  saying, 
•  i!i  riiadotte  may  thank  his  marriage  for  his  baton,  his  priu- 
lip.ility  of  Pontecorvo  antl  the  crown  of  Sweden," 

Altiiough  his  own  si^sters  looked  upon  the  eagle,  whieh 
:V.aki>h  nature  had  smuggled  into  their  barnyard  lirood,  as 
,  lily  a  liird  to  be  plucked,  raidiiie  alone  among  them  having 
tlir  sl'.glitest  emotion  for  him,  he  lavislietl  fondness  ui.on  his 
-t.  inlauiihter,    his    sister-in-law    and    upon    th:'    Beauharnais 

u\  .!( 

When  Pi'incess  Catherine  of  Wiirtend)erg  came  to  Paris  to 
■nari'y  Jerome,  and  knelt  terrified  at  the  Emiteror's  feet,  he 
1  i' krd  her  up,  gathered  the  av,-kv>ard  youuLT  (ierman  girl  in 
Insaiins.  kissed  her,  and  witii  his  gentleness  did  more  than  any 
nf  tlic  women  of  the  court  to  phice  her  at  ease.  In  the  Prin- 
v-N  .\iigusL'i  of  Bavaria,  wife  of  Prince  Eugene,  he  inspired 
rii.  f,alty  of  a  daughter.  His  htter  of  instructions  to  the 
\.iiiiiLr  husband  di.scloses  a  sensible  domestic  code:  "You 
11' 1(1  hiore  gaiety  in  your  house;  it  is  necessary  for  your  wife's 
liajipiness  and  for  vour  health,  I  lead  the  life  that  you  lead, 
liiit  I  have  an  old  wife  who  can  amuse  herself  without  me,  and 
liiMiiis  I  have  more  to  do." 

Till'  Emperor's  indulgence  toward  Stephanie,  Aunt  Fanny 
11' auharnais'  granddaughter,  whom  he  adopted  as  his  own 
iliii'j-hter  and  married  to  the  Prince  of  PidiMi,  made  that 
>.ii;iiu-  h'dy  the  spoiled  child  of  the  Empire.  When  Josephine 
iiiiiiiLrht  a  little  cousin  from  .Martini(|ue.  he  ])romptly  married 
iiii'tothe  Prince  d'Aiviibcrg.  The  marriage  was  an  uiiliappy 
'iiif  and  the  tiride  ran  away  i:'om  her  groom,  whereui)on  the 
I'uipiror  gave  her  a  liberal  allowance  that  eiialile.i  her  to  dis- 
pi  !iM'  with  an  unpleasant  husband. 

■  Kind,  gentle,  persuasive  women"  were  his  choice,  and  such 
as  they  could  go  far  with  him.  He  would  brodk  no  self  as.ser- 
tinn  fiom  them  on  any  point.  He  believed  in  training  wives 
in  the  wav  thev  should  walk.     To  the  Duchess  of   Dalmatia, 


v.ilV  of  .M;ifs!ia!  Soiilt.  li 
\iiiir  lius  i.ind.      If  T  wer( 


said:      ".Madam,  recollcci    I  am  luit 
voii  would  behave  ver"   litf'ereiitlv." 


-Z^i 


l.\   'I' 111:   KOOTSTKI'S  (>F  XA  POL  HON 


llf  would  liin 


iioi    lii-   rr^iUdiM 


Till'    niilclllIlrl'V     tnl-    tUnilllL 


1 ■   ■'     ••■'■'    t. . .    .  . 

, ; ..I, ;i.i •  •      II. 


M-,M.I,1  1,.,.- 


tliiinKcil  a  tv 


^-^raiii  (111    I  111'  mmra 


»  '    I  1  I    I  '     I    1  1       .    .    I  1  I    I  1  1    ^\        1     ]  M  1  f  <     1  I  I  1 

i;..,;f.,(;, r  ", ♦.. 


(•0(U 


iiiiwii        ,.,  (ti'iiii      11         f  \  •  \     1111(4 

...1. *•  ..  1 .:....    1- : 


-    ■  1 

■ 'cliildi'cii.   cliiircli.  ill 


I 


^  1  1  1^ 

IK) 


r  1 


fls;    tlicf*.    nwir.i   +/. 


,,,.■  ••  M,.|...       4  1, I...1;. .,...„„ 


' '  I  . ».         .-.(."    i\  1 1 1  ;.;.'> 


nujiri  >,       nc  jii.M  [IK  I  re  1 


.\n  air.iisinir  dread  and 


.'  lU  (> 

...   .■diica,..... 


irit         l>..n 


IKiKHMiiL-  ui  nil'  sr.\  arc  u('uayt'( 

T  r 1 !  - .   -   1  .        1    1 


<in/ii,'._\      KH      rui       llllMli    III)'     ciriM     iUU 
:l\-i><1     111    •!     ti  1 1  ti.  1 1>.  >/ 1    <if*    III..'    L'..i-ii<.. 


lie  really  placei: 
triaiis,  and  the 


..I   ,..;.i,  4i,..   I.' i:..i. 


tile    Alls 


lOOli 


I*  I  M/J  1        >>  I  MllUlt       <|.^       ( 


w'./iiiv.i    v/ii    (I    I.   V.I     t>iiii    ^iif    ijii^ii.-^ii,    iiir   ^ 

AUs.sians  as  a  peril  to  his  mastery,  seeiiiiiii;  u. 

all      ilS     :t      I'f^I  II  Tll'l  1  nir     ..;M\'*tl'*HITTlf  \-      ui.'lfi.fl       n»-.r.»i     .1 


rival  throne  and 


tiii.r     it'lfl.      1.1°..,      I',...     tl...     ,i;..4..,» 


disiMituitr  with   liiiii   for  tii 


e  di( 


tatorsiiip  of 

the  earth.  "A  minister  of  state,"  he  declared,  -'should  newr 
allow  a  woman  to  apjiroaeii  his  ealiinet.''  lie  would  estahlisli 
a  (luar.-intine  ajrainst  this  insidious  enemy  and  mako  the  I-^ 
pire  exi'luNively  inaseulino. 

Sueh  a  seirretration  of  tho  sexes  as  he  proposed  is  nowh 


Ill- 


en' 


more  ahsui'dly  impo.ssilile  than  in  Fraiiee.  where  the  izreiU 
ladies  of  tiie  salons,  shai-in^'-  in  the  discussions,  the  intrigues. 
and  the  amiiilions  of  pliilosoiijiers  and  statesmen,  only  retlcct 
the  fashions  of  the  women  o'"  the  peasantry,  who  have  an  equal 
jiart  with  the  men  in  the  counsels  of  the  coitajxe. 

Even  war  is  not  sutVereti  to  interrupt  the  comradeship  of  the 
sexes  in  France.  Tlu  vivandiere,  or  cantine  woman,  dressed 
in  the  finery  and  mounted  on  the  horse  stolen  for  her  by  the 
soldiers,  with  her  kei:  of  brandy  in  front  and  her  boiopiu 
,«!au.sap'  and  cheese  all  around  her,  was  at  lir:,t  the  dauL'hter 
and  next  tb"  sister  before  she  mellowed  into  the  mother  of  the 
rej?iment.  unless  indeed  she  married  in  the  meantime  ami  I'e- 

or  a    baroness  or  a 


came   a   duchess,   like   .M 


me.   Sans   (!en 


countess,  like  many  others  of  her  caUinjr.  Iler  tent  was  the 
club,  and  her  purse  the  b.'.nk  for  officers  and  .soldiers  alike, 
while  she  braved  wounds  and  death  in  battle  by  earryuiyr  re- 
I'reshmeiits  to  the  thirsty  and  faiiiishiim  firin;.'  line. 

In  all  the  campaigns  of  Xapoleo!!,   his  ai'iiiy   was  followed 
by  its  "love  escort."'     Such  a  b'|M.;  ,.['  wi\-es  and  children,  ic- 


THE  UNCONCil'ERED  SEX 


28.') 


l-"-:  >s.  , lancers,  and  thousands  of  adventurous  women  as  never 
:.,H'ua.il  any  other  tlian  a  Freneh  military  on^'anisation, 
liKiujrhtuptiierearof  thedrand  Army  in  ail  manner  of  wagons 
„„i  rjiris,  on  (lonk.'y  hack  and  afoot.  With  the  fortitude  or 
.'iviiiidiers,  they  emlured  the  heat  of  Spain  and  the  snows  of 
Uu>sia.  and.  pausing  at  the  foot  of  a  tree  to  receive  a  eall  from 
the  >toik.  the  hardy  mothers,  with  their  bahes  iu  their  arms, 
i|uiikly  overtook  tiie  advaneing  columns. 

Ill  his  earlier  campaigns.  Naiuilcoti  tried  hard  to  shake  otf 
;liis  "love  escort."  Hut.  althougli  he  threaten.'d  to  snuidge 
t!ir  faces  of  the  women,  they  delied  him,  anil  th.cre  is  no  record 
1.1  viicli  a  e^uel  punishment  of  their  vanity.  He  took  all  pos- 
m!i!c  jirecautions  against  any  woman  accompanying  his  army 
•n  i:_'\  i)t.  hut  many  slipjied  aboard  his  shii)  as  stowaways  or  in 
Mil^iins"  lunforms.  Tiie  eternal  feminine  was  with  him  still 
111  lii^  retreat  from  Moscow,  where  women  wiio  had  grown 
!;iiiiilic>s  in  his  cami)s  and  kept  stej)  with  his  legions  for  sixteen 
v.aiN.  followed  his  footprints  in  the  snow. 

Not  withstanding  he  had  fi.iled  in  his  etTorts  to  keep  them 
(lut  n\'  his  camp,  he  declared  that  "Women  shall  have  no  in- 
:!iMicc  at  my  court."  Affecting  a  brave  air,  he  exclaimed, 
■  What  do  I'care  for  the  tittle-tattle  of  the  drawing  rooms.' 
.Ml  1  care  for  is  the  opinion  of  decimt  jieasants."  Vet  he 
i.hIc  a  detective  a  duke  to  reward  Fouche's  diligence  and  skill 
ill  i-toviding  ears  for  the  walls  of  the  salons  of  Paris. 

h  w.is  a  i)ity  the  eagle  could  not  soar  above  the  idle  gossip 
in  the  boudoirs  of  the  old  nobility.  He  never  lost  his  sensitive- 
I-  to  their  snubs.  ^Mme.  de  Xarbonne.  although  the  Em- 
1"  i-.ir  liniioured  her  son  with  important  missions,  could  not  be 
'  ..ipjlit  to  demean  herself  with  more  than  two  or  three  very 
•i  '  fiiiii-tory  ai)i>earances  at  court  each  year.  The  son.  how- 
■vr.  proved  himself  a  clever  diplomat  in  his  apolou'i.s.  when 
•! .  jjiiperor  said  in  a  grieved  tone.  "I  fear  your  mother  does 
lint  like  me." 

•'Siri\"  the  yotuig  count  replied,  "my  mother  has  not  yet 
HilviM'C'il  beyond  the  stage  of  admiration." 

Nanolcdii  I'ccognised  the  queenship  of  women.  Imt  he  wished 
tli.  Ill  to  lie  like  his  fellow  sovereigns  of  the  male  species,  satel- 


2SG 


I.\  TIIH  FOOTSTKI'S  OF  XAPOLKOX 


litcs  rrvolviiiL'  iiround  lii,-,  own  planetary  body.  IT'>  always 
Mood  rvady  to  hv  tlicii'  i)i'otfL'tor  it'  only  they  would  be  his 
alli<>s. 

His  fatherly  care  over  the  "weaker  sex"  knew  almost  no 
i)0un(ls.  He  re(iuired  every  subprefcct  in  France  to  make  a 
list  of  the  daiifzhters  of  the  most  notable  families  within  his 
jurisdiction,  and  an  estimate  of  the  i)i'ol)able  inheritance  of 
•  ■aeh  ^'irl.  At  that  time  he  contemplated  a  sort  of  card  index 
system,  under  which  he  would  betroth  to  his  i)0()r  but  desen'iniz 
civil  and  military  ofiicers  all  the  heiresses  in  the  country  hav- 
ing yearly  incomes  of  $10,000  or  more.  Ever  eajjcer  to  lend  a 
helpiniu'  hand  to  cupid,  he  married  one  of  Josepliine's  maids  to 
Constant,  his  valet,  and  giving  the  Duke  of  (iaeti'  -'is  minister 
of  finance,  two  years  in  which  to  marry,  he  thoughtfully  added, 
"H'you  wish,  I  will  arrange  it  for  you." 

In  his  ambition  to  dazzle  the  world  with  their  brilliance  and 
beauty,  lie  surrounded  his  throne  with  women.  They  were, 
however,  to  be  merely  a  studiously  arranged  tableau,  and  he 
suecc'ded  in  making  his  (;ourt  the  most  splendid  and  the  most 
stupid  in  Europe. 

The  fashions  and  customs  of  women  not  onlv  interested  him 
personally  but  politically  as  well,  for  he  saw  their  possible 
u.sefulness  to  him  in  his  trade  war  with  England.  His  court 
was  commanded  to  give  up  the  use  of  imported  tea  and  sugar 
and  all  nuinner  of  British  fabrics.  "It  is  a  contest  of  life  and 
death  between  France  and  England,"  he  said,  "and  every 
French  teapot  and  sugar  basin  and  work  basket  must  be  eiu- 
ployed  as  weapons  in  the  war."  Calling  fashion  to  his  side 
as  an  ally,  he  promoted  the  return  to  the  silks  of  Lyons  in 
the  styles  of  the  Empire  for  men  as  well  as  women,  and  laid. 
a  ban  on  the  simi)ler  and  soberer  republican  garb  that  had 
come  into  favour  at  the  Revolution.  lie  led  Parisian  dress- 
makers away  from  their  preference  for  goods  made  of  cotton, 
which  had  to  come  by  the  blockaded  sea.  to  linens  and  lawn 
woven  of  flax,  and  the  merino  Fheep  of  Spain,  no  longer  yield- 
ing their  fleece  to  the  woollen  mainifacturers  of  England,  gave 
the  mills  of  the  continent  a  mouoi  ly  of  the  finest  wool  in  the 
world 


W'oMF.N     OI-       I  hi;     I  Ml'hlllAI.      I   AMIIY 

■  'l-y    I'atcrsdti    l!iiii;i|i;nti',    J.   (,)iiitii    (  aruliiir    nf    .\;i|ili-^.    :!.    I'riii- 
'luliiic.   4.   (^iiiiiii    lli>rtiii>r    111    I1(i11mihI,    .").    \Iinr,    Mcrr.   ti,   (JtMiwl 

-^        i  .  !  1  -.1       »)i  i    (l>l    (til  V 


TIIK  UXC0X<JUERED  SKX 


287 


Not  hy  till'  EmiKM-or's  dircclioii.  l)iit  in  liis  lionoiir.  tlio, 
fiivliioii  iiiiikfrs  brought  out  nrifiit:il  ideas  tluit  recalled  his 
campaiirri  in  tlio  east.  One  iiionieiitous  departure  was  made 
without  any  apparent  relation  to  him.  That  was  tlie  introdue- 
tioii  lit'  rdi'sets  in  tile  winter  of  lM)f). 

N'Mpoleon's  weakness  for  the  se.\  really  was  unmistakably 
li.trayed  in  his  inordinate  interest  in  the  dress  and  toilet  of 
woiiini,  wliich  hi>  criticised  as  if  he  were  inspecting  Ins  soldiers' 
iiiiitniriis.  "(;o  and  put  on  some  rouge,  madam,  you  look  like 
;i  cerpse!"  "How  red  your  elbows  are!"  'Mlood  (iod! 
Tlicy  told  me  you  were  pretty!"  "That  is  a  fine  mantle  of 
ynui>,  I  must  havt^  s«'en  it  twenty  times!"  "Heavens,  but 
iMi't  your  liair  red!" — these  are  among  the  reported  ejacula- 
tions at  wliich  the  women  of  the  court  ein-le  trembled  as  Ilis 
hiiperial  Majesty  maile  his  rounds. 

Ih'  never  planned  more  closely  the  operations  of  his  army  in 
the  field  than  he  planned  the  amusements  of  his  court.  lie 
pave  gnat  theatrical  i)erformances,  but  people  were  afraid  to 
Jipplaud.  Young  girls  yawned  and  fell  asleep  in  the  heavy 
atiuosjiliere  of  the  Tuileries.  It  palled  upon  even  the  Em- 
roror  lii:iiself,  and  in  his  weariness  with  the  functions  of  his 
own  devising,  he  fidgeted  about  on  the  throne  at  the  splendid 
ffTPiiidnials. 

Paris  had  grown  dizzy  in  the  waltz,  which  Napoleon's  sol- 
diers had  discovered— or  rediscovered— in  the  Jena  campaign, 
wlipii  the  conquering  army  saw  the  (Jermans  forgetting  their 
tiiitional  M'oos  in  its  dreamy  wliirl.  Although  Napoleon's  old 
danciiiir  teacher  in  Valence  had  put  in  an  appearance  and  an 
application,  saying,  "Sire,  it  is  I  who  once  guided  your  steps," 
the  iniiiil  never  was  a  credit  to  his  instructor,  wie  n  the  Em- 
peror tried  his  awkward  feet  in  a  gavotte  at  AVarsaw,  he  asked 
the  C()untes.s  I'otocka  how  he  danced.  The  Countess'  reply  is 
a  model :  ".Sir(>,  for  a  great  man,  you  dance  perfectly  !"  The 
great  man.  however,  was  not  so  great  a  fool  and  he  knew 
lietter. 

Good  p(>ople  in  France  were  sorely  outraged  by  the  strange 
dance  from  Germany.  Although  it  invaded  even  th(>  frigid 
Pr'^oinets   r-    +'•••     iv.:!...;..       i'....    rr- '.:  ^         .:•.., 

1"    '.iin-irv     (,.      ,,,,         ..,.,.,,,    .,      tin        liMijii-lul       >|IU      IIUI      SHUCK      tUe 


288 


IX  Till';   I'UOTSTKl'S  UF  NAI'ULKUN 


I>ni(lrs  liy  tiikiii-,'  it  up,  for  whciit'Vcr  lie  tried  to  waltz,  that 
iiiarvrilous  iicatl  of  lii^  >ivv\v  di/./y  and  lost  its  balance. 

'i'o  •riNc  his  peoj.le  a  elian^'e  of  seetit',  Napoleon  at  statfd 
times  t''anslVrre(l  liis  court  to  country  palaces,  prereralily  Vm- 
tainebleau,  wliicli  .Josepliinc  detested.  On  those  occasions,  tli' 
vast  jiile  was  crowded  with  a  population  e(|ual  to  that  of  a 
town,  fe(|uifinir  as  many  ^is  1  ]0(l  beds  to  be  made  in  the  chatciin 
and  as  many  as  .'iOdit  covers  laid  at  dinner.  The  apartmciit> 
were  assiirned  to  the  <xuests  as  in  a  bi^'  hotel,  while  the  dutirs 
of  entertaininf,'  were  divided  amonj,'  tiie  niendier.s  of  the  im- 
I)erial  family.  If  the  Hmperor  gave  a  reception  this  "venini:, 
another  evening'  was  nuirked  by  a  card  i)<irty  under  the  lio>- 
])itality  of  the  Kmprcss,  while  on  other  eveiniigs  there  were 
plays  or  jnusicales,  followed  by  balls  under  the  patronaiTc  of 
the  princesses.  The  princes,  the  ministers,  the  prand  marshal. 
and  the  ladies  of  lionour,  eaeli  with  a  dining  table  in  his  or 
her  apartment — once  there  were  fifty-two  tables  to  be  served— 
{lave  all  the  dinners,  and  thus  left  the  Emperor  at  liberty  to 
take  refiiije  from  the  jaded  mob  of  courtiers  in  a  private 
dinner  with  the  Empress  and  whoni.soever  else  he  chose. 

Tli(>  social  evolutions  of  each  day  were  scheduled  as  in  a 
military  traininjr  oam[).  Breakfast  over  at  eleven  o'clock,  the 
ladies  turned  to  tapestry  work;  at  two  the  men  wont  hunting, 
returning  at  eight  or  nine,  whereupon  the  Emperor  was  likely 
to  tap  his  watch  and  say,  "I  give  the  ladies  ten  minutes  to 
dress  for  dinner."  Sometimes  a  great  levee  was  scheduled  for 
Sunday  morning,  which  obliged  all  those  from  Paris  to  travel 
most  of  the  night,  merely  to  stand  in  silence  agr.inst  the  wall  of 
a  corridor  at  P'ontainebleaii  while  the  Emperor  passed  as  in  a 
review  of  the  Tiuard,  perhaps  without  a  word  or  a  look,  after 
which  the  long  return  journey  to  the  city  bes^an. 

Sj.ite  of  his  tireless  efforts  to  give  his  court  a  good  time,  th.^ 
Emperor  grieved:  "Is  it  not  strant'o!  I  brought  all  tiie.<e 
people  out  to  Fontainebleau;  I  wished  them  to  be  amused  ami 
I  arranged  every  sort  of  pleasure.  Yet  here  they  are,  with 
long  f.ices,  all  looking  bored  and  tired." 

Talleyrand  explaitied,  with  the  candour  which  the  Emperor 
jtermitted  him  in  the  privacy  of  the  cabinet,  "Sire,  that  is  I'O- 


THE  uncon(^uhhi:d  shx 


289 


.■■M-o  plrasiiro  oaiinoi  In-  suiiinionod  nt  Iho  tap  of  a  dnim. 
Your  Majesty  always  sccmiis  to  say  to  us,  'Coiiif,  ladies  and 
i.',  iitlriiii'ii,  forward,  inareli!' 

Oiir  ni^'lit  at  Foiitaiiu'l)lfau,  as  the  inipt-rial  party  was  coni- 
i;,.'  I'ldiii  a  production  of  tlii'  "Marriage  of  Kii,'aro,"  the  wife 
lit  Marshal  Laniics,  the  Duclu-ss  of  Montcbcllo,  sifjlicd  :     '"i'o 


think  tiiat  once  I  let  tnysclf 


all 


iiost  traini)lrd  and  smother- 


to  SCI 


at  i)lay,  and  now  1  liud  nothin*,'  anuisin<;  in  it 


Ni 


oleon  replied,  "That  is  because  then  you  were  in  the  pit,  and 


now  vou  are  m  a  hox 


iMi  ary  as  the  court  of  the  P^npirc  must  have  l)een,  it  had  the 
rare  merit  of  api>arent  cleanliness,  at   least.     It 


lirll 


:'d    th 


is  true 
d  at  the 


rown  assui 
■.iiiif  time  tlie  ancient  prerogative  of  mouarchs  to  be  a  mural 
:,\v  unto  himself.  It  is  true,  he  proclaimed,  "I  stand  apart 
fviiiii  other  men;  I  accept  no  one's  conditions!"  Nevertheless 
i.Moiitimied  to  pay  virtue  the  tribute  of  not  openly  adopting 
th.-  now  iiicredii)Iy  low  standards  which  generally  prevailed 
aiiioiiir  royalty  in  a  time  when  the  palaces  of  Europe  were 
lidusis  of  shame,  ami  when  there  was  not  yet  a  democratio 
imtilie  opinion  to  restrain  princes  and  princesses  and  compel 
till  111  1o  Seem  as  decent  as  common  people. 

It  was  the  obscene  age  when  that  obese  debauchee,  George  IV 
of  England,  then  Prince  of  Wales,  typified  monarchial  morals 
and  reigned  as  "the  first  gentleman  of  Europe."  The  Ilolien- 
zolli  rns  were  as  abandoned  a  lot  as  any  about  a  throne  when 
Louise  married  into  the  family  and  united  her  homely  virtues 
\vith  those  of  Frederick  William  to  lift  the  court  of  Berlin  out 
of  tlie  mire.  Czar  Alexander  was  altogetiier  worthy  of  his 
L'niiiiliiiollicr  wlio  brought  him  up,  the  nauglity  Catherine. 

If  Niipolenn  did  not  surpass  the  morals  of  his  fellow- 
sovrniunis  he  was  not  guilty  of  their  bra.''en  alTronts  to  the 
moral  sensibilities  of  his  sulgects,  but  furtively  tread  the  prim- 
ros.'  path  at  double  (i\iick.  lie  broke  no  lance,  like  Henry  II, 
f'-v  a  Diane  de  Poitiers;  in  the  Emi)ire.  France  saw  no  Val- 
li'Pi-.  no  Montespan,  no  Maintenon  successively  playing  the 
liolitieal  boss  with  a  Louis  XTV:  saw  no  Pompadour  wast- 
i'lij  t!!e  siii^stanee  of  tl'.e  neople  in  riotniis  living  with  a  I.ouis 


t 
Hi 


\i\)0 


l.N   TlIK   FU()TSTi:i>S  OF   NAroLKoN 


A\  ;  nor  ii  I^arrv  tlirowiriir  state  papers  in  ttic  lire  and  luorkiiiL' 
till'  interests  ol'  the  nalidii. 

\\  liile  N'aiioleoti  was  on  I  lie  (Jennan  eanii)aij,"i  in  the  wiiitir 
of  lS(l(j,  liis  tirst  son  was  home  liini  in  I'aris  by  Hh'onorc 
Eh'onofe  Hevel — and  thron;_'li  seventy-live  yeai's  of  a  worlhlrs>. 
rascally  life,  the  Count  de  Leon  carried  the  eertilicate  of  hiv 
paternal  ori^'in  stamped  on  his  face,  which  he  proudly  hoastri 
as  his  "glorious  resemhlance. "  The  Kniix'ror  apj)ointed  lnv 
secretary,  the  Haron  de  Meiieval.  to  he  one  of  the  ehildV 
^ruai'dians,  and  made  liberal  provision:;  for  the  boy  before  lu^ 
final  remenihi'aiice  of  him  in  his  will. 

Tlie  other  son,  who  was  boi-n  in  ISJO,  became,  as  Count 
Walewski,  u  distininiished  statesman  of  the  Second  Kiniiiiv, 
sei'vin'4  under  Xafioleon  HI  as  and)assador  to  London,  ministrr 
of  forei<rn  atVairs,  miiustei-  of  state,  and  as  president  of  tii' 
eori)s  lef,'islatif  until  his  death  in  IMJH.  The  Count's  motlur. 
the  only  well-delined  titriire  amoni,'  the  patiietie  shades  in  ll.f 
back<.'round  of  Napoleon,  was  the  beautiful  twenty-two-ycar- 
old  wife  of  an  old  Polish  noble  when,  in  the  enthusiastic;  eiii" 
tion  tliat  swept  her  uiduipj)y  Poland  at  its  liberation  fmiii 
Prussia,  she  smiled  upon  the  liberator  of  her  i)eo[)!e  at  Warsaw, 
in  the  winter  of  lS(l(j-()7.  To  this  day  the  Poles  dierish  Iut 
memory  as  one  who  jiave  her  love  for  her  country.  Even  Iut 
iiiii'd  husband  and  his  family  appear  to  liavo  been  eontent  to 
see  the  beautiful  patriot  <?ain  the  eonlideneo  of  the  master  of 
their  nation's  destiny.  For  M.  Walewski 's  sisters  were  lu'i' 
eliaperoiies  when  she  took  up  her  residence  in  Paris,  where 
she  dwelt  in  the  deepest  seclusion. 

It  is  not  clearly  written  in  history  that  the  most  brilliant 
man  in  its  iia<res,  with  ^'race  on  his  bi'ow,  the  front  of  .]o\e  aii'l 
the  eye  of  Mars,  ever  won  the  love  of  any  woman.  Yet  tin' 
fault  may  not  have  been  so  much  in  the  man  as  in  his  star, 
which  foi'ever  lured  him  froa  home-felt  pleasures  and  irentle 
scenes.  "Grand,  gloomy,  and  peculiar,  he  sat  upon  the  throiu' 
a  sceptred  hermit.  wrai>ped  ii  the  solitinle  of  his  own  cmj.'- 
inality."  Fortune  shed  ujion  him  the  glory  of  victory  ami 
power,  and  showenHi  ui)on  him  sceptres  and  crowns,  but  she 

^Oiiiirnjii   TO    iihii,    gi\-at    :iiid    Sliiaii,    vVuiW;;- 


1  1 


TIIK  UNCONHHl'^li '•''>>  ^••'-'^ 


121(1 


,iip|  iiiiwortliy — the  pure,  uiisfllisli  love  of  two  fjrood  woiin'H,  u 
imitlicr  ;iinl  a  wife. 

I^.ti/iii  I5i)nii|iarft',  with  "  tlif  lii^ail  of  a  man  mi  llif  slioiildfrs 
I  if  a  \M  1111,1  n,  "  was  tin'  stmi  and  no  hie  motlnr  liitd  of  an  i-ai^'lc, 
lilt  liif  \nMnoiis  and  dutiful  iti'iast  was  no  fountain  of  atVcc- 
tidii.  NiM  did  th"  ca^'ic,  after  nii  \vin<,'  Ins  mighty  youth  in 
nioiiastiTirs  and  harracks,  receive  any  response  to  tiie  wild 
tlinihhiii'js  in  his  Ixisom  when  lie  swoojied  ilown  upon 
Jdsepliine's  dove  cote. 

Tih  I'eupon  he  hadt'  his  lieart  to  dismiss  its  distraetin{»  illu- 
>ii)iis.  and  thenceforth  lie  ondtted  fi-om  his  scheme  of  uiuversal 
i(iiii|uest  the  hemisphere  of  woiiuink'ind.  Men  were  intoxi- 
r;itc(l  iiy  his  friance,  and  died  hy  the  thousands  to  win  his 
Miiilc.  In  the  nddst  of  a  |>r()strate  world,  however,  wonutn- 
lined  stood  ei'eet  and  unconcpiei'ed,  and  it  is  douhtfid  if  any 
'.VMiiiati  lost  either  her  head  or  her  heart  us  the  (ireat  Unloved 
iiiuivIk  (1  on  to  his  desliuy. 


CIIAITKi:  xx.w 


TIIK   l)IV()|{(K 

IHUU      AUK    10 

WIIILIO  Xii[ioI.'On  dwelt  in  the  paljK'*'  of  tln'  ftit.'ilivc 
Ai  rliiliiiliivs  .Man<'  liduJM'  111'  Aiisti'iii  ;il  Srlmii- 
luMimi,  in  l>(i|l,  ainl  (icnipifd  the  room  of  the 
futiiiT  Kiii^xiif  Ixoriic.  Ill'  t'oriiicil  tin-  loiii^-dft'i-rrrd  ffSdliitidn 
to  (iivori'c  .Iosi'|>liitif,  iiiiil,  niiiii's  '  ij,'  a  (laii!.'lit('r  of  one  of  lln' 
aiicitiit  dynasties,  i)r()vide  an  lieii'  to  his  throne. 

As  tlie  V'lor  of  >^'aLriiiiM.  in  the  pride  of  sui'eess  and  tlir 
resixHisiliility  of  power,  wdked  the  p.daee  liails  of  the  lljips- 
liuru's,  his  deterininatioi.  I'ipened  tiiat  the  inheritor  of  iiis 
<,'hii'>-  and  his  eoo'iui'sts,  shonid  lie  at  onee  a  ehild  of  his  own 
potent  hlood  and  the  scion  (d"  a  raee  of  kinirs.  He  saw  no 
other  way  to  lift  the  imperial  sui-<'essi("i  above  the  uirly 
jealousies  and  eonspii'aries  that  had  already  divided  the  iioiia- 
partts  and  phn-e  it  lieyond  the  I'ivalry  of  the  moi'e  amhitious 
marshals  who  stood  naily  to  liLdit  foi"  the  iiown  anion..:  them- 
.selvi'S. 

Like  his  only  oonipainons  in  fame,  he  was  childless,  hut  he 
would  not,  like  Alexander,  l)c<pieatl'  his  kintjdom  to  tin' 
stron^'ost,  or.  like  ("jesar.  adopt  a  nephew.  All  the  while  ihf 
sanu^  superservieealile  faction  which,  for  its  own  pi'olit,  ha<l 
[)aved  his  way  to  the  life  Consulate,  and  then  to  the  tlirnne, 
was  eai^erly  plottiiiLT,  in  season  and  out,  to  have  him  marry 
ajrain  and  leave  a  successor  to  that  throne  by  which  its  iiuin- 
Ikm's  lived. 

WaL'ram  seems  to  have  di'cided  the  issue,  when  it  enntirnicit 
anew  Napoleon's  title  to  the  vastest  and  ri(diest  estate  in  tl'c 
world.  The  Kinjiress  did  Jiot  miss  the  calamitous  sijrniticani't' 
of  tl:'t  battle  to  her,  nor  fail  to  understand  that  in  her  hns- 

292 


TIIK    DIVORCE 


203 


band's  victory  slic  li.id  Idst  luf  lisjlit.  On  liis  nturii  to 
I'iiris,  lir  t"(»iiii(l  .loscpliiiic's  crcditofs,  alaninMl  liy  lur  >itik- 
iiiL'  fortiinrs,  climioiiriiitr  for  money,  .'iiul  lir  was  aiua/i'il  to 
Innii  that  ayaiti  slir  \\;is  tlnuniliriii^'  in  dflit. 

Kxtr'ava;.'anii'  apprafs  to  have  limi  .losfpliini-'s  one  fanlf 
iindiT  till'  Kin|iin'.  It  is  douhtl'ul  if  sin'  had  vrivm  the  Km- 
|irf(ir  nii\  otlii'f  j^riivaiicc  sini'c  she  took  her  |)!ai'c  licsidf  liiiii 
(iti  till'  tliiotii'.  Onri'  III'  iji'-t  In  ?•  iiiiilini'f  in  jirison  for  srv- 
iimI  hoiii's  to  Irijliti'ti  Ih'i"  out  of  lii-r  liahit  of  extortion,     iafe 

imjilisontnellt  would  not  lia\e  eol'fertid  the  fi'ilvless  ex- 
pciidituns  of  the  Kllipt'eSS,  with  her  .'illO  ehenii^  s,  her  new 
imir  of  stoi'kintrs  for  eaeh  dressing!',  her  •■'llH  ni-  |i)(l  eashiiiere 
sliiiwls,  some  eostinir  nearly  •'!;■_'.")('( i.  jind  her  rohes  of  laee  for 
whii'li  she  pail!  as  hit,'h  as  ^l'i'.IHKI  eaeh.  Mine,  de  I{einiisat 
inviT  entifeii  a  dressmaker's  or  a  milliner's,  ^'o  when  s!it> 
would,  that  she  did  not  lind  something;  in  the  makinir  for  the 
Kiiilircss.  Ilei'  animal  allowanee  foi*  dress  rose  as  liiirh  as 
:»:|tn.(MI(l.  Init  her  eredit  lieiiii,'  'jood.  she  s[)<  Mt  as  mueli  as 
il'-jl  1,1 1(1(1  in  a  year.  Out  of  her  yearly  expenditure^,  !iow- 
cMT,  she  aeeumulated  iiiost  of  liei'  Jewellery,  wliieh  rejtre- 
sfiitcd  at  the  time  of  the  divoree  an  investment  of  nearly 
*]  ao(t.()(iii. 

Whenever  ireditors  pressed  and  the  inevitahle  time  of 
n-ckoninpr  came,  the  l-lmpn  ,s  eried  and  the  I'anperor  ra?ed, 
Init  not  at  her  so  tnueli  as  at  tie'  tradesmen.  Altluaitjli  he 
ai'liitrarii.N  eiit  down  th-ir  IdlN  Id,  4i',  and  ')()  p-r  cent.,  they 
were  well  eiioiiLdi  satisfied  with  the  profit  still  remaininir  to 
start  at  om-e  a  new  eampaiirn  of  temptation  and  a  new  ae- 
foiirit  with  the  Kmpress. 

Kveii  in  her  weakness,  however,  there  is  to  be  found  the 
source  of  •losephine's  streiej'th.  Fler  Creoh^  love  of  lieautN' 
ami  Itixnr'-.  costly  as  it  was.  had  framed  a  tittiiex  hackjiround 
lor  .Vapoleon's  imperial  ju'etensions  atid  made  his  eouit  the 
foremost  in  the  world  when,  had  he  heen  left  to  his  own  de- 
vires,  it  would  have  been  nothin'.r  more  than  a  military  camp 
aiiil  tile  butt  of  scornful  F.uroiie. 

With  a  simple  and  genuine  fondues.!?  for  people,  and  with 

i'    tliitlVO    ui£riiiTy     TlV-e     ir'tiVi     Tile     .Mill      ilciilTiMM  ,     Tiir     IcV     am- 


i 

1! 


m 


IN  THE  FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLEON 


liciality  of  women  brod  in  royal  piilacos,  the  supple  lilt 


If  is- 


lander from  the  snuar  lol't  of  .Martini(|Ue  deftly  blended  i 
motli'v  array  of  ex-srr^riants  and  their  >,'arrisou  wives  with 
tile  old  iioliility.  Fiuirr  her  dainty  toueh,  the  Tuileries  hv- 
came  the  moiiUl  of  turm  and  tile  lool<in'r  kdass  of  fash 


ion 


for 

all  tile  ancient  and  frumpy  courts  of  tlie  continent.  Evrii 
tile  Eniilisii,  altliouixii  tiiey  lilockaded  Napoleon  relontle'vsly. 
were  eajrer  eiiouf,'li  to  smuj,'f,'le  across  to  London  the  latest 
models  from  Joscpliine's  dressmakers. 

While  the  Emperor  was  wauin^r  his  military  eampaifjiis,  it 
was  no  less  her  duty  to  conduct  tlic  Empress'  social  campaijnis 
and  a  censorious  world  could  find  no  fault  in  her  stratciry. 
Iler  ec'itinual  jourinyiii;^s  from  palace  to  palace,  from  coun- 
try to  country  in  tortuous  coaches  over  racking  roads  weaiy 
and  sta^u'tr  tlie  understanding. 

Siie  lived  wiioUy  for  Najioleon  and  his  interests.  ILiviii!.' 
no  great  ambitions  c*"  her  own,  no  desire  for  power  or 
grandeur,  she  did  not  meddle  in  politics,  but  in  tiie  spirit  of  a 
grocer  s  or  banker's  wife,  she  made  it  her  main  purpose  in 
life  to  please  her  husband,  look  after  his  home  and  promote 
his  success  by  being  agreeable  to  his  associates.  Lecause  she 
was  the  wif.'  of  an  Emi'erc'*,  whose  iiome  was  a  palace,  whose 
Inisiness  was  ruling  the  world  and  v.liose  associates  were  kiii!:s. 
princes  and  uukes,  her  duMes  were  no  lighter  and  no  less 
diffieult. 

■'How  this  wearies  me."  she  once  exclaimed  "I  have  not 
a  moment  to  myself.  It  ivould  be  better  for  me  were  I  the 
wife  of  a  labourer."  Mtiiough  diamond  crowns  and  gilded 
salons  cast  tlieir  illusion  over  the  scene  of  her  splendid 
drudgery,  Josejtliine  could  not  have  toiled  harder  had  she 
been  a  labourer's  wife.  For  three  hours  each  day  she  slaved 
over  her  morning  toilei.  and  tiirice  daily  slie  changed  iier 
linen  throu-hout.  A  mob  of  servitors  and  courtiers  su''- 
rounded  liei-  monung,  noon,  and  night.  She  breakfasted, 
lundied,  and  dined  with  tliem,  and  tiie  re{)etition  of  some 
divary  function  was  sched  d  for  each  waking  hour.  "Be 
gay  I     He  gay!''     That  was  tlie  imjierial  command  always. 

However  borne  down  under  tiiC  burden  of  a  <Town,  iinw- 


THE  DIVORCE 


295 


,  \,  r  ill  >li('  luitrht  bo,  and  slie  was  i;oi  physically  strong,  liow- 
,;,!•  hiird  licr  head  ached,  never  did  Josei)lune  on  her  unend- 
Ki-  round  of  petty  tasks,  disiippoiiit  the  Kuiperor  with  a  inis- 
>tr|i.  a  wrnn<r  word  or  a  laekin<?  smile.  There  never  was  an 
in,iisiivct  remark,  an  inlri|rne,  an  act  of  favouritism  on  her 
\>[iv\  to  embarrass  her  husband  for  a  moment.  He,  who  above 
al!  iii.n  valued  every  tick  of  the  clock,  never  had  to  complain 
r!uit  nIic  kept  him  waiting?  a  minute.  And  wiien  lie  was  worn 
(lilt  liy  the  cares  of  a  crowded  day,  she,  who  never  opened  a 
linnk  for  lier  own  enjoyment,  lay  across  the  foot  of  his  bed 
and  rrad  him  to  sleep  in  that  voiee  whose  tones  unfailinf;ly 
tuti'anccd  him. 

No  mall,  nionareh  or  jioasant,  could  ask  for  a  truer  help- 
la.  rt.     Hut  the  lord  of  the  earth  was  witliout  an  heir. 

The  Ion;,'  dreaded  hour  striic  for  Josephine  at  the  end  of 
Xnv.inhcr,  1S09,  when  Paris  was  in  the  midst  of  jireparations 
U)V  ti;  clebration  of  the  tifth  anniversary  of  the  coronation 
ami  from  all  the  federated  nations  of  the  Empire,  kings  and 
iiureiis,  I'rinees  and  ])riucesses  were  thronf:jing  into  the  eity. 
.Vt'ter  a  silent,  mournful  dinner  in  the  Tuileries.  the  Emperor 
aiiil  Empress  retired  to  his  apa'tments,  where,  while  she  was 
linjiiiiiu  the  cup  of  coffee  which  he  had  just  passed  to  her,  he 
-pnke  the  words  that  for  nuiiiy  days  had  been  strufTirling  for 
L-xiuexsion.  The  historian  of  the  tra'.:ic  scene,  in  the  person 
of  th  pre*"  ct  of  the  palaee,  sitting  in  a  chair  tilted  against 
ih'  Willi  of  the  corridor  outside  the  door,  suddeidy  heard  loud 
>!iii  ks  fi'om  the  Emperor's  room.  An  usher,  who  al>o  heard 
til'  111.  would  have  opened  the  door  had  not  his  chief  told  him 
That  the  Emperor  would  call  +''^''  assistance  if  he  needed 
it. 

The  prei"e<'t  was  riuht.  In  i-  nioraent  the  door  opened  and 
!h  ■  Kiiiperoi-  stood  before  him,  his  eyes  full  of  tears  and  his 
void.'  cliokintr  in  his  extreme  agitation.  The  functionary 
entered  the  room,  to  iind  Josephine  lying  on  the  floor  and 
uttering  pi.  ,'eiim-  cries:  "I  shall  not  survive  it  !  I  shall  not 
survive  it'"'  The  Emperor  asked  the  prefect  to  carry  the 
stricken  Kmpress  down  to  her  own  apartments,  on  the  floor 
below,  and  he  took  a  candle  off  a  table  to  light  the  svay.     The 


296 


IN  THE  FOOTSTKl'S  OF  NAPOLEON 


private  stairs,  however,  provinsjc  too  narrow  for  iier  to  be  car- 
ried down  ill  one  pair  of  arms,  tlie  Emperor  <;;ave  the  eandlf 
to  the  ushrr  and  helped  the  pi'(>i"ect  hear  hei'  to  her  room. 

Ilavimr  played  the  woman  that  brief  wliile,  Josephine 
(|uickly  and  bravely  resumed  the  part  of  Empress.  Notluii;.' 
in  lier  brilliant  rei^ni  became  lier  more  tiiaii  lier  farewell  to 
her  ^n-eatiiess.  Tiie  fetes  went  on  and,  althouuh  she  eould  not 
keep  ba<-k  the  tears  and  summon  tiie  vanisiied  smile,  she  faith- 
fully met  all  her  duties  in  the  moekini?  eeremonials. 

Queen  iJortense,  perked  up  in  a  ^'listerin^'  jrrief  for  her 
eldest  son  and  wearing'  a  froldeii  sorrow  in  iier  loveless  wed- 
lock, was  uiihappiness  enlhrcmcd  and  eould  not  understaml 
why  her  mother  should  dread  the  loss  of  a  erowii.  Josephine 
was  a  dau^'hter  of  the  sun,  and.  while  she  eared  nothinji  for 
power,  she  was  naturally  proud  of  the  success  with  which  she 
iiad  sat  the  liij^'hest  throne  of  earth  and  retained  the  atiection 
and  merited  the  admiration  of  the  foremost  man  of  the  world. 
If  her  early  indifference  had  not  really  warmed  into  love  for 
Napoleon,  she  had  at  least  become,  in  their  nearly  iourtetu 
years  of  married  life,  a  fond  and  devoted  wife,  capable  of  feel- 
iuy  the  pane's  of  jealousy. 

\Vith  the  arrival  of  Eujjene,  tlie  formal  arrangements  for  Lis 
mother's  divorce  were  entered  upon.  The  son  bad  anticipated 
the  situation,  and  had  written  to  her  a  month  before  that  if 
the  Emp'  lor  believed  his  happiness  ami  the  interests  of 
France  required  him  to  have  children,  no  consideration  should 
be  permitted  to  oppose  him,  and  he  invited  -Josephine,  in  event 
of  divorce,  to  live  with  him  in  Italy.  P^inally,  it  fell  to 
Eu^'eiie  to  make  tiie  tirst  public  announcement  of  the  matter. 
"It  is  necessary  for  tiie  happiness  of  France  that  the  founder 
of  this  fourth  dynasty  should  grow  old,  surrounded  by  his 
direct  descendants  as  a  guarantee  to  us  all,"  he  told  the  senate. 
"The  tears  that  his  resolution  has  drawn  from  the  Emperor 
sutflee  for  my  mother's  glory." 

Neither  the  Emi)ress  nor  lier  children  could  have  asked  for 
more  generous  terms  than  Napoleon  volunteered.  He  pro- 
{)osed  that  she  should  retain  her  imperial  rank  as  crowned 
Empress,  have  the  Elysee  palace  in  I'aris,  as  well  as  her  cher- 


TIIK  DTVORf'E 


297 


i^!M  ,|  ;il)(uli'  at  .Malmnisoii  and  the  chateau  of  Navarre  for  her 
p  vi'iriires,  aiid  receive  ail  aUnwance  of  $*)(K>,(I(K»  a  year. 

It  was  a>rrce(l  that  tlie  divorce  should  be  hiwfuUy  pro- 
i,,iuii<r(l  hy  mutual  consent  in  a  family  council  in  strict  ac- 
•iinlaiiee  with  the  i)rovisious  of  tlie  Code  Nai)olcon.  At  nine 
M  tlir  rvenini:  of  December  15.  .Josepiiine  entered  the  throne 
rui.ui  to  take  part  in  her  last  function  at  the  Tuileries.  Tlie 
act  of  divorce  was  read,  and  the  Empress,  di'yint:  her  eyes, 
nisc  to  read  her  speech  in  a  voice  surprisiufrly  composed.  She 
til  L'aii  bravely  enough  : 

Willi  ilic  permission  of  our  auLrnst  and  dear  ppouse,  I  declare 
i;,;ii.  .-line  1  liavc  110  iio]>e  of  bcaiiii^'  children  who  can  satisfy  the 
n'i|iiirciiiciits  of  his  jiolicy  and  tiic  iiitcrots  of  P'rancc.  it  is  my 
]ili:isurc  to  '/iw  liim  tlic  i^rcalesl  ])roof  of  attachment  and  devotion 
wiiiih  c\cr  was  .aiven  on  earth. 

Nnw  her  voice  trembled  and  utterly  faih-d  her.  As  she 
sank  Weeping  into  her  chair,  she  handed  the  paper  to  a  gentle- 
111, III  of  the  court  and  dumlilv  apjtealed  to  him  to  finish  the 
-|i.iili.  whicii  eontiiuied: 

!  .  we  all  to  his  bounty.  It  was  his  hand  which  crowned  ine  and. 
M'atnl  on  his  tiironc,  1  have  received  notliinu'  but  prools  of  affec- 
iinii  and  devotion  from  the  French  i)eople.  The  dissoluti<i!  of  my 
i!:arviaL;v  will  make  no  rhanue  in  the  sentiments  of  ray  heart.  The 
1',:  |.. M,r  will  always  have  in  me  his  hcst  friend.  I  know  how  much 
lia>  act,  which  is  made  necessary  by  his  policy  and  by  such  peat 
iiitiTcsts.  has  wounded  his  heart,  but  wc  shall  win  glory,  both  of  us, 
(vv  tile  sacritices  we  ha\i-  made  ffu-  our  country. 

.\ftcr  a  few  minutes  the  Emperor  and  Empress  met  again 
to  mingle  their  tears  in  a  priva!-  leave  taking,  when  Josephine 
rovcred  his  face  with  kisses  and  for  the  last  time  he  embraced 
■■'  luiih^  of  his  youth  and  his  glory.  Xapoleon  at  once  en- 
''ivii  ii  waiting  carriage  and  drove  alone  in  his  gloom  through 
till'  tilack  nisiht  to  Versailles,  there  to  pass  a  few  days  in  soli- 
tndr  at  tin-  palace  of  tlie  (Irand  Trianon. 

Josephine's  departuie  v.as  deferred  until  the  next  after- 
iionn.  .\  fow  courtiers  presented  themselves  in  the  morning 
to  take  lormal  leave  of  her,  but  when  attended  by  two  mem- 


r 


0<1S! 


TV  'nil.'    i-'noT-i'i'i-M^si  (^^^  vaith  i.'nv 


brrs  of  tlii'  court  slic  riitci'iil  licr  caiTiaL'c  for  tho  drivi'  to 
.MaiiiKiisdii,  IK)  oiif  cainc  to  sa.\'  ^xootl-liyt',  and  slic  saw  imt  a 
friendly  or  ^'ralcfid  face  as.  in  a  cold  and  dismal  rain,  slic 
drove  away  from  tlu'  Tuilcrics  foi'cvcr.  The  palace  crouil 
Were  saving'  their  siij)i)lc  hinu'es  and  their  fawniiif^s  foi  hw 
suci-essor. 

The  Kmperor  rodi'  over  to  Malniaisoii  the  next  day  to  rail. 
There  lie  sirolled.  with  .Josephine,  in  the  familiar  i)allis  of 
the  chateau  park,  'uit  tlicre  were  no  more  cini)raees.  When 
he  had  returned  to  Vei'sailles  he  at  once  sat  down  and  wrote 
her  a  letter  lireathin^'  the  tenderest  anxiety  and  hastened  to 
despatih  it  hy  couriei'  in  time  to  reach  the  Empress  hcfoiv 
she  retired  for  the  nii.'ht. 

The  callers  at  ^lahnaison  all  came  away  with  tales  of 
Jos(phine's  teai's.  and.  at  each  distressing'  report,  the  Km- 
peror  sped  a  coui'ier  to  her  with  a  letter  appealing'  to  lier  foiti- 
tude.  lie  called  a^'ain  in  person  on  Chrislmas  eve  to  invite 
her  to  a  Chri.stuuis  diiuici-  with  him  at  \'ersailles,  and  she  went 
with  Ilortense  and  Ku<,'ene. 

Napoleon  returiu'd  to  tlu  Tuilcrics  the  day  after  Christinas. 
lie  had  been  away  a  fortni'jht  and  now  he  was  plainly  moved 
hy  the  memories  the  place  cvoUed  and  shocked  to  find  it  sn 
desolate  without  its  »rraceful  mistress.  "The  jzreat  palace 
seemed  veiw  empty  to  me,''  he  confessed  in  his  daily  liter 
to  JosephiiK".  Once  more  he  paid  iier  debts  and  he  appealed 
to  her  to  try  to  live  on  .i^:?O().0(H)  a  year,  savinsjr  the  rest  of  her 
income  for  her  frraiidchildren. 

The  eomj)letion  of  his';  policy  inaugurated  by  the  divorce 
now  occu[)ied  Napoleon "s  atteution  and  he  at  once  pressed 
his  plans  for  a  matrimonial  alliance  with  some  great  reifxu- 
injr  house.  A  list  of  thv  available  princ(>sses  of  Europe  lay 
before  him  like  a  military  ma[).  The  widowerhood  of  the  most 
celebrated  and  powerful  m;  n  of  his  time,  with  the  loftiest 
throne  in  the  world  at  his  bestowal,  aroused  more  fear,  how- 
ever, than  aml>ition  in  th(>  bosoms  of  some  of  the  eliiribles. 
Queen  Louise,  who  ha.  oidy  lately  returned  to  Berlin  from 
her  lon<?  exile,  thanked  (iod  in  her  maternal  heart  that  her 
ui.lL  injiii  uaugiiTer  v»"as  cictui  unci  saK   iroiii  ; 


,.  ..- -,;L;l:f,- 


THE  DIVOHCI-: 


299 


hriiiL'  siiri'iliccd  to  tile  coiKHUTor.  And  the  Arc'iiilucln'ss 
Millie  Lduisi'  of  Austria  wi'otc  to  rcussuiv  an  anxious  t'lii-nd 
ihiU  slh'  was  in  no  peril,  as  her  t'atiier  was  too  ;;ood  to  tidnk 
of  (itVeriii'j  lier  n\)  to  tlie  niinotaurl 

N;ilMile(in  "s  own  pret't-renec  was  to  bind  to^etlior  lue  two 
,iii|'iiis  of  Ki'aiu't'  and  Russia  in  a  uiarriair-  hetuecu  liinisclf 
;iiiil  ;i  KdinanolV.  Alexander,  however,  was  ehiltUess,  like  liim- 
,,  ;■.  iind  liad  only  sistei-s  to  lie  eoiisidered.  And  their  nmlher 
liiiird  the  French  Eniperor.  The  Czar,  eauj^ht  hetweeii  his 
iiiipnrlunate  ally  on  one  hand  and  his  mother  and  the  I'niire 
IJiivMan  arisloeraey  on  the  othei",  juirh-yed  for  tinic  For  two 
:iiiiiitl,s  he  j)ut  otV  a  decisive  answer.  At  last  the  imperial 
aii'l  iiii|"rious  widower  sent  an  ultimatum,  givinj;  the  IJus- 
^l;lIl  ciiiirt  forfy-ei^dit  liours  to  say  yes  or  no.  Still  Alexander 
iiiitiiiin-d  to  palter. 

Ahvady  thi'  Kmperor  Francis  ol"  .lustria  had  frankly  ('n- 
t.ivd  liis  daui^hter,  .Marie  Louise,  as  an  open  eantlidate  for 
till'  vacant  thi'one.     Metternich,  the  Austrian  fni'eiirn  minister, 

iiau  1 n  campim:'  on  the  trail  of  the  divorce   for  two  years 

iiiil  iMW  that  it  had  come,  he  prepared  to  take  advanta^'e  of  it. 

.Mclii  rnich  and  the  crafty  politicians  in  Vienna  had  no 
ileuht  that  Napoleon  was  ridinjr  for  a  fall.  They  shrewdly 
•aliiilatcd.  however,  tiiat  the  inevitable  day  of  reckoning  prob- 
al  ly  was  four  years  off.  Meanwhile  Austria  must  keep  in  his 
iriiiiil  i:races  until  the  time  came  to  snatch  back  the  provinces 
he  had  taken  from  her.  A  marriage  alliance  with  him  surely 
wduld  stay  his  hand  and  at  the  same  time  weaken  Ids  political 
alliiincf  with  Russia,  thus  hastening  his  downfall.  It  was  a 
il'A'P,  well-thousht-ont  scheme  on  the  part  of  the  Austrian 
niun— and  it  would  cost  only  an  eighteen-year-old  girl! 

W,  aiy  and  exasperated  with  the  Czar's  shifty  conduct.  Na- 
iHilroii  suddenly  turned  to  take  up  the  hint  which  the  Austrian 
'-'(iveiiimcnt  had  dropped.  For  the  task  of  opening  the  deli- 
'■at.-  negotiations,  he  wished  to  select  the  most  taetful  and 
faithful  amliassatlor  in  all  his  Empire.  And  his  choice  fell 
iijioii  none  other  than  Josejjhine,  herself! 

Tile  Kmpress.  as  loyal  as  ever,  did  not  hesitate  to  accept  the 


f 


.1. 


T..,.;*;..,,  *i. 


-;p,.  ..e  >r<>tt->,..,;,.i,  <«  M..1 


»-»u  1  wmi 


300 


l\  TIIK   FOOTSTKPS  OF  XAPOLEOX 


only  two  ^u■rks  nUrr  \hr  ,livo,T,.,  she  aniazcd  that  la.ly  l)v  ex 
prcssin-  h.T  ,,,nu-.>st  wish  that  her  divonv.l  huslmtul  .iuHit 
fiMil  (■un,s,.hiti(iii  in  a  inarria,!.'c  uitli  .M;,i'i,.  I.miis.. 

\VI„„  at  h.n-th  in  III,.  ,.,.urs..  (,f  otiirial  .liscus.sions  h.^tw,.,.,, 
h(.  two  rnipnvs.  it  was  ph.in  that  Austria  was  as  wilii,,.' as 
ilarlvis  .Napol,..,,,  took  a  vote  on  tht-  (|ucstion  in  his  rounril  (,f 
Stat...  .Alai-H-  Louis,,  was  ch-ct..,!.  Jos<.phin...  howrvcr  li;nl 
<-n,)oyo.l  th..  raiv  honour  of  making  the  uomiuation  of  her  sue 
ccssor  in  wedlock. 


CHAPTER  XXXVT 


THE  SECOND  MAHKIAGE 

IMIU      A(iK    411 

THE  world  stood  astoiindod  when  tlic  bi'trotlial  of  Na- 
poleon and  the  Anlidudu'ss  Marie  liuuise  was  an- 
iioiuici'd   in  the  middle  of  Feliniary,   ISld. 

The  pulilic  had  assumed  that  tl'.e  Czar's  sister  was  to  be 
ilir  iiiw  wife  of  the  divorced  lOmperor.  Marie  Louise  herself, 
•'. itli  iiotliinj,'  liut  pity  iii  her  heart  for  the  ehosen  bride  of  the 
iniNiraii  O'.M'e  of  her  girlish  fancy,  was  innocently  watching 
•  '■  FnniLfiirt  Cc.ziitf  for  the  news  of  an  en^'a^'ement  between 
liini  anil  a  liussian  <,'rand  duchess,  when  toward  the  end  of 
•faiiiiaiy  she  was  surprised  and  alarmed  to  hear  that  her  own 
-'I'ltiiiii  was  under  consideration.  The  young  Archduchess 
va^  away  from  home  at  the  time,  but  hastenetl  to  write  to  her 
iailiii'.  tile  Emperoi'  Francis,  imploring  him  to  spare  her. 
Mian  while,  Count  Metternich,  her  father's  minister  of  forei'-'n 
affairs  and  the  real  matchmaker,  was  coolly  flattering  himself 
ill  a  litter  to  his  wife  at  Paris  that  "the  Archduchess  is  still 
iiiiioiant,  as  is  proper,  of  the  plans  concerning  her  .  .  .  Our 
priiii  isses  are  little  accustomed  to  clioose  their  husbands  ac- 
'iH'ilniLr  to  their  own  inclinations." 

Austi'ia  was  delighted  to  cut  out  Russia  in  that  remarkable 
■'iiiitsliii»  for  the  hand  of  the  contpieror  of  Europe.  The 
luophetic  statesmen  of  Vienna  congratulated  themselves  that 
tliiy  hail  alienated  Napoleon  and  Alexander— and  opened  the 
way  to  the  disastrous  Russian  invasion  two  years  later!  At 
last  one  of  Napoleon's  own  advisers  foretold  the  conse- 
'|ii'  nres.  Cambaceres,  who  insisted  that  the  bridegroom  would 
lia\i'  to  light  whichever  power  he  disappointed  in  the  mar- 
iiuge,  iiuoured  liie  eiiuice  oi  a  uussian  wiie  ijecuuae  iiie  hiiii- 

301 


U<\ 


302 


IN   TIIK   FOOTSTKI'S  OF  X.\  I'OLI'i  »\ 


'"■''"'■    ^■■■|-<    '■|';iMiili;if    Willi    th,.    ,.(M(| 
'''!<'     ""•    l'".l'l     to    St.     I'd,   i'sImM'i:." 

I  ll''   l"ii|.|c  of   \'i,.|ili;i   u,  f,. 
wIk'Ii    .\;i|ioIcoii   1,1, .,\    III,   il 


li>    N'irllllil    hut     llliu'lit    not 


<•  not  iiioiv  siirpfisril  ami  startln] 
,,  ,  ■  ■"■  ^^'I'l-^  I'oiir  tiioiitlis  li  'i,,!','  tli.i' 
""•■  "'■'■'■''•"  ">'■  '••■l-'t  tlut  tlHTl,!,.,  ,|an,'ht..rottlH.,rl.;n;: 
P"'-'"-  w.stoH.arfy  tli,.  „„„  ,vlio  iia.l  twi,..  s..ix..,l  th,.ir  ..i.v 
;'  '  -'-  ''-I  ^'-l^  I'-n.!.,  Kfan,.is  ,0  his  f,.,.t  ,W  ,1...  toinlii 
'""•  "!>  ';•"  '"..ntlis  ha,l  ,,ass..,|  si,,.,  th.v  saw  .Ma-,.. 
I;..uis..  tv,n^  h,.|o,vfh..  va.,^„aniofh,.,Thos,,;  In-i,!...,.,,,,,,, 
.  ;;;  '"'  ;, "  '"^''^-lin.  a,-„.y  ,loun  th.  valh-y  of  th.  Da.aib,. 
•■"'I.I  St, II  li.phiinlv  t,-a..,lhyth.  w,-..l<a.v  ^.t•(i„its^v;,l•.. 
<.n,l   a.,..ss  th.   ,.iv.,.   IVoM,   tl apital.   th.   .liar,v,I  a.i,l  I.    '. 

.■r.d    n„„s   ot    As,,.,-,..    Ivssli,„_.   a,,.!    Wa.M-a,„   .o„ti„u.d   to 
-.,■  ,n-„„  u.t„.ss  to  th..  W.adly  n„nity  b.tuv.,.  hi,,,  a,i,|  ti , 
ila{)sl)ii,'i,'s. 

y.t  th.  Vi.„noso.  q„i,.kly  r..ov.ri„^'  fro„i  the'!,-  su,p,as.. 

m«  If  '  r  ,".  '''"''  ""•  "'"'■'''■"  •^''■^•■'•"i''l'  fVii.itatd 
I'orn.ifrc  n,.  .\i,st,.,a„  „atio„aI  s.M.uriti.s  ro..  ;{0  n.,-  mit 
u.  wo  ho.irs  aft.,,  the  c.o,)li,.,„atio,.  of  the  ,.„„,o;.r,s  that 
-\,,s  ,.,a  ha.l  l,oii„d  th.'  ?,a„t  with  ril,I,o„.s  of  Avhitc 

""■  .:uvhl.,sho,,  of  Vi.„„a  „,a.i.  .son,,  sli^d.t  diffi.i.ltv  about 
a  nnn'un^,  w,th  a  divo,...d  p.r.so,,.  Xapol..on,  how..v".r.  ha,I 
<-m,s.d  a  eo„„.,l  ot  Vv.urh  p,..lat..s  to  a„„„l  his  vAh/mi, 
>nar,-iaMV  o  Jos,.ph„,..  wlii.-h  ha.l  h..,.,,  sol..,„,.ized  bv  Canlinal 
i  vsrh  .,„st  ]„.,„.,.  the  .•o,o„atio„.  Th,.  a„„„I„ient'wa.s  nia.le 
on  h..  ,r,o„n,|s  that  th,.  p,.i,.st  of  th,.  pa,.ish  was  not  p,...s,.nt. 
that  th,.  n.,p„,.,.,|  w,t„,.ss,.s  movo  la.-ki,,^.  a„d  that  th,>  h,-i,i,^. 
fjroo.n  ,.,.aily  had  he,.,,  „,a,.,.i,.d  witho.it  his  ow„  ,.o„s,.„t: 
Ae,.,„.,l„,^.  to  the  ,.„sto,„  of  tl„.  ,.h„r,-h,  the  Pop,-  alee  ..oulci 
dee„le  a  .|,„.st,o,i  eoi„.e,.,.inp  the  validity  of  a  sovorei-n's  ,na,-- 
na^e  but  th,.  drovve  of  a„„ul„„.„t  by  the  Paris  t,-ibu„al  suf- 
ficed to  qu„.t  th..  eo„s.i..,i,.e  of  the  archbishop  of  Vienna. 

When  at  last  Mett,.r„„.h  i.r.>t,.n,ird  to  eonsult  Marie  Louise 
liers.'lf  aboi,t   the 

I'r 

i,t  i 


f  ,,      ,       .  ,        .     "'"'■'•■ii^''-.  ;;lie  only  asked,  "What  are  ,nv 

tath.-r  s  w,sh,.s  .'        F,,„„  ,.|iil,ihoo,i  th,"  A,vh,lueh,'.ss  had  hm, 

:-;i;i;;i  uevoiiuiuii,  wuicii  had  siaiu  iier 


.,,,,,....  *i. 


Tin:  SKcnXl)  MAKIMACK 


■M\ 


hpnutifiil  trirat  am 


I    M 


ll'IC 


AliK 


■ttr,   till'   latest    liri'll'lui-hrss 


that  Aiisti'iii  IkkI  tfiv-n  to  Krain' 
the  iiirariiatioti  of  its  sava^'f 


IIK 


1  to  look  iiixiti  Napolron 


as 

'IP 


usurpor 


1!. 


ahva\s  liirti 


llrl.l 


licl'oi'.     Ill      a     till-   oiitlawnl    I'm'   of  till'    huiiiaii    rai'i".   tin' 
I)  had  ilriviMi  fi'uin  t'   -if  thrnii's  In  r  L'ramliiititlicr, 


till 
mill 
haii  i 


(^iit'cii    if  Napli's;  iicr  i.nili'.  tlir  (Iraml  nuUi   of  'I'lisrai 


i\ 


III 


Ili'T   strjmiotllr     's 
HH'ii  till'  iiiiri'lcntiiiL;  m  oiii'; 
111.      ill  all   liiT  hatt'i's  with  to.v 
till'   most   villainous  an  Diitr  tlit m 


fatln  r,  tin'  l>ukc  of  .MoiU'iia,  ami  who 


her  family  sinci   sli.    was 
soldiers  on  the  mu-'i'ry 


had 


unlaMiii<zlv   I II 


to   ri'in'c  •lit.  Iiiiu   and 


I'CITlM'll 


f 


rum   lii'i-  fzirlisli 


haiiils 


Is  till'  cniflrst   assaults.     N'lw,   Imui'Ver,   tlia'    her   fa; In-r 


haili' 


■I-    throw    herself    into    tl 


arms   o 


f   th 


iHleous 


hoi). 


nil  01 


llel' 


rirlh 


she  (iliedii'iit;  .   dismissed  evi  ry  Ihoiif^ht 


that  coiitlietfd  with  her  duty  as  a  dau^'hter. 


While  she  h;'.d  heei 


1       VI 


II   iustrueted    in 


the  el; 


issie  and  ii 


lod- 


i"i  lauL'tiajjes  and  eould  stieak  Freneh  ah  lost  as  well  as  she 
vlmj^e  her  native  (iermaii,  lier  tliiiikiiiir  fa>  ulties  had  r  'i-civcd 
110  niiire  traiiiinir  than   a   wcdl   coii'lu'l   parro' 's.     Her   mind 

-ail  1 n  left  a  eleati,  white  blank.    ■•■<■    "diim'  to  the  lIapshMr<» 

ril''  of  reariin^'  a  jirineess,  which  e.\ai  d  iirnoranee  into  tho 
\i'-tui'  of  iiinoeeiiee.  Every  illusion  to  orhiddeii  suh.jeets 
i:iiil  hi'i'ii  lahoriously  cut  out  of  papers  and  hooks  hefore  the 
dijiNt  eyes  of  Marie  Louise  were  privileired  to  see  them. 
Shr  hiid  do'_'s  and  eats,  horses  ami  birds  and  all  mam  "f  of 
l"t^  hut  they  were  earefully  chosen  from  her  own  sex,  and 
!int  a  male  of  any  spoeies  had  been  permitted  to  steal  into  her 
v'l'L'iiial  preeinets.  lb  r  whole  world  had  been  thorou<,'hly  ox- 
|iarL'ateil. 

Naturally  enoufxh  when  this  prisoner  oi'  caste  sndch'iily 
fiiiiinl  hersi'l  the  betrothed  of  tin  mi'-'htiest  ruler  of  earth  and 
ilistiiied  I'lir  the  most  brilliant  ol  1'  rones,  she  beean  to  feel 
a  irrowini:  interest  in  her  new  fortunes  as  an  Empress.  She 
frankly  enjoyed  the  humble  deferene(>  of  a  I'ourt  whieh 
hitherto  had  iu'iiored  lier  as  a  child,  and  her  childish  vanity 
was  excited  h..  the  ])opular  interest  she  aroused,  the  peo])le 
stamlini:  before  the  i)alace  morning  after  morning  to  see  her 


nil    !  1 . . 


■■11'      f  ri     >"ti  o  ccr 


^J 


304 


IN   'I'm:   InoTSTIil'S  ()|.'  XAI'OLKoN 


Tlir   Ftvticli   ;,.nl,assii,l„r   f„    I'nris   rcp..rf.M|,   ■-]    „,„st   s,r 

!':",'''"'"';,"'"   ''''"''■   '"""•  "'    '">    i'"'''vi..u    II..r    l,n,.,.nal 

'-'"""^  ''"I   '""   •" N".n^  "f  I'aris  t'islii,.ns  ,.,•  tlirattvs'' 

Al.tt.r,,,,  h.    \un^r^rr.   thnu-lil    slir  <,u-lil    f„   ini|,n.vc   I,,.,-  nr. 
•I""""'"i'-''  ^vith  t!„.  rn-li,M„>,  Inr  |„.  urut,-  Ins  uiT,.   ••Wlim  slir 

>s   |.Io,„.,  i>    ,1,,  ss,.,|   „,„1    ,,ut    in   sl,.,,M.  sl„.   will   ,1,,  v.TV   WrII        I 

liavr    l.,.t:^r,,|    I,.,,   ,„  „,„,,.,.  .,   ,,,,„„„„_,   ,,,,^^,^  ^,  ^^^  ^^-^^^^  ^^^  ^|_^^ 

ii'-n\rs  in  fans  a,,. I  .i..f  t..  .h,,,,.  until  sl.r  has  l.arii.-,!  |,„u-  " 

""■  '"■"''■  '""'  ^''■'»"'"   'lev,.;-  Im<l  Mh't  ami  in.ir,.,!  had  n„t  so 

imi.h  as  s,.,.n  ,,,,1,  ,,tlirf's  pinniv.      \-W  ..hvi.Mis  ivasons  W 

'"'''■""  '^  ''l^''''''^^^  liii'l  iH.t  a(l,,r I  thr  palar..  walls  ..f  tlir  Ilaiis- 

'''";-'•      '''• '■  '-'•tlii.T  raiiH-.  h.mvvrr,  hrin^in^a  niiniafur.. 

nl  hnn,  snrn.iMi.lr,!  hy  sixtrrn  .liainorids  an.!  rostiti- .+  1(M)  Odd 
A  MUiHJy  ..x.-rmr,!  portrait  nf  the  hridr  was  .|,.spafcl„',|  to 
'  '"■'^,  '"  ■■^'■l'."iL'-,  and  as  Xapnlroi;  .Irvnund  it  with  liis 
'•.v.'s  !„.  ..x.lannr,!  will,  .IHigl.t,  ••Thr  Uapslniir  lip'  Th. 
iliil^simr-   lipl" 

Tliaf  thirk  nnd.r  lip  was  tlic  tradr  mark  of  the  ohlrst  im- 
•"■'■'■''  '•"■'■  "'■  '•^"I'opr,  and  tl„.  rharitv  pupil  oi'  Hri,.nii. 
I"''"idly  r...|,,ir,,l  ,n  thr  vanity  of  its  p.,sscssi,,M.  As  fnr  ilw 
nst,  .Manr  Loui^.'s  tVatiircs  wrr.'  mi(listiiii:uish..d  and  plain 
I  i<'  ("unfrss  l'nt.,cka  spraks  nf  h.r  ••wnndm  fa,.,."  aii,l 
"l;n-,..  pair  hlu-.  pnrr.lai,,  ,.y..s."  Still  it  is  a-r,.,.,!  that  h,T 
la  I  li-uiv  was  -on,!;  snuu-  a.itlioriti,.s  say  it  was  ,.v,.n  h,.aiiti- 
fnl,  and  h,r  hair  was  litrht  (.|icstinit  aii,l  alum, hint. 

Two  nhl,  ,|rah  cIiuivIh.s  stand  lu-i-lihoiirs  on  littl,.  si.i,^ 
stn.,.ts  ot  Vi,.nna  ..If  th,-  l.'in^.  an,|  n..ar  th,'  Hun:  th,.  ,.itv 
Pf'la.-.'  ot  th,.  llapslmrL's.  In  on,.  .Mari.  Lonis,.  was  inarri..,!: 
"I  th,.  othrr  sh,.  was  luiri,.,!.  TlM.y  ar,-  th,.  I.,.irinniii<r  aii,l  th,. 
•'ii'l  of  h-r  stran-,.  story.  Wla-n.  in  .March.  ls](i,  sh,.  st,K),l  at 
th.'  altar  ot  th,.  .Vinrustin  ,.hur,.h  to  r,.,.,.iv,.  fr.,>n  h,.r  rnrlc 
Cliarh.s,  as  .\'apoh.on"s  pro.xy.  th,"  rinj,'  of  th,"  Kinp.Tor  ,)f  th,' 
l"r,.n,h.  not  a  y.'ar  ha, I  yt  pass,.,!  sinco  .sh,.  an,i  th,-  inipt'rial 
tanuly  had  kn,.lt  at  that  altar  in  an.xious  prawr  for  th,"  vi,'- 
tofy  of  Charh's  over  .\apol,.,)M. 

When  th,.  n,.w  Knipr,.ss  of  th,.  Fn-ncli  arrived  at  th,'  Riv,.r 
Iiui,  till'  fronti,.r  of  th,.  kiiiirdnni  of  i?avarin  and  of  tl;,'  Xii- 
polconi,'  .Mnpir,..  h-r  dowry  of  ^f^loO.UMO  wa.s  ,.ount.>d  ont  an,l 


\lAUlt    LollSt    A.M>    TUL    Kl.\(J    UK    HoML,    UY    <  iLBAUl) 


Tin-:  SKCONl)  .MAIJinAdK 


305 


(lilivri'ril  to  tlir  !'"r(Mii'li  luul  slie  licr.sclf  wiis  t';)rmally  checked 
lit!"  and  tniiixt'erred  like  any  other  eoiisi<.'iiinciit.  A  wooch'ii 
|;i\i!ioii  IkhI  hccti  erected  oil  t'lc  houmlary,  iiinl  aft''!'  ent','!'ii!f^ 
It  I'll  II  tlir  Austrian  side,  Marie  Louise  passed  on  to  a  second 
iir  iiriural  riiaiidier  in  tiie  pavilion.  Heyond  that  room  was 
till'  third  of  French  compartment,  wliere  a  company  of  conr- 
li.Tx  iiDin  i'aris  waited  to  receive  tiieir  sovereign.  In  their 
i,i'.'' iiiess  to  see  her,  they  had  hoi'cd  uindet  holes  in  the  par- 
MMeii  between  the  two  rooms,  and  th.e  i)refect  of  the  Tuileries, 
\\m\  three  months  before  to  carry  the  faintins? 

peep 
It   inr.     Soon    tlie    Austrians   knocked    at    the    door    for    the 


iliiiic  to  liei'  apartments,  records  in  his  me  loirs  his 


■  ivli-li 


to  come  in.     They  entered  to  find  tlie  Empi'css  seated 
iliidiie,  and  her  eyes  wei'c  tilled  with  tears  as  she  looked 


subjects  for  the  i'  'st  til 


He, 


M 


ll'Ic 


-oiiise   accompanied    her   new   custodians  to  a   iner- 


:;iiit  s  house  in  Braunau,  where,  following'  the  re(iuirenient3 
"'.'  iiistoiii.  she  divested  herself  of  evei'y  earuieiit  and  adorn- 
I'l'iit  freiii  her  own  country,  as  a  symbol  of  Jier  purpose  to 
■.i\''  hrhiiid  her  all  that  was;  ^\ustrian.  An  elaborate 
•'  i^sciiii.  includin<r  sixty-four  dresses,  had  been  made  for 
In  ill  I'aris  at  a  cost  of  .i^SO.OOO,  and  Xajjoleon  had  personally 
iii>p-'  te,|  it  down  to  its  sixty  jiairs  of  shoes. 

Ai'ii-  two  hours'  steady  work,  the  Empress  was  duly  ar- 
!;:>''!  i:i  the  fashions  of  Paris.  The  next  thin<;  she  did  was 
;m  -it  .lown  and  write  her  father.  Althou^'h  she  protested  that 
-!i''  uiis  inconsolable  except  for  the  retiection  flat  she  was 
sarrilirin-,'  herself  for  him.  she  plavfullv  added,  "I  assure  voii 
i  atii  already  as  much  i)erfuiue(l  as  the  French  women." 

.\t  Munich  the  </\r\  bride  received  a  heavy  blow.  Napoleon 
l"'l  iif.lcred  that  no  member  of  her  Austrian  suite  should 
'lit  r  FiaiuH'  with  her  and  the  one  friend  who  had  been  per- 
'iii"'ii  to  continue  in  her  com]iany  after  the  partint:  on  the 
ia\aiian  iVoiiticr  was  now  sent  back.  She  was  left  utterly 
iiii'ii'Mi  anioii<f  strantrers.  but  sutimitted  in  silent  ^rief. 

A-  I  he  Km,,cror  watciied  for  her  coiiiiiiLr.  the  cares  of  f>m- 
I'liv  wefe  forsrottet!  and  he  went  to  the  palace  of  ('om[)ie}?ne 
bauuse  it  was  lifty  miles  out  on  the  road.     The  old  chateau 


f 


jli 


306 


IN'  THE  FOOTSTKI'S  OF  XAI'OLHON 


that  sits  on  its  t-rraco  ahov.-  tl.c  val],.y  of  tlu'  Oisc  was  swiftlv 
r.-turnislu'd  aii.l  r...l,.(.oraf.Hl.  Xapol.-on  ordered  tlie  installa- 
lo.i  ot  a  syst,.,,,  nf  water  uorks,  s.'t  np  stidu.s  in  ll,..  park  ard 
Ixran  til.,  construction  of  a  hroad  iron-trrllisod  walk  tlinr 
quarters  ot  a  mile  l„i,u-  in  iniitati,,,,  of  Mari."  Louise's  favount.. 
"■■iHMir  at  Seh,,nbrmin.  lie  a.so  tliou-htfullv  instrueted  1,,^ 
ivprcsentatives  at  Vieima  to  forward  the  most  cherished  of 
»H'r  IHTsonal  l.elonKin-s.  They  ..o,Mpli,.d  l.y  sendin-  her  littl. 
«lo-  her  hird.  and  a  pi.'ce  of  tapestry  uhich  she  had  left  br- 
und  unlin.she.l  an.l  he  fondly  j.lanned  to  surprise  her  with 
them  on  her  arrival. 

At  tlu'  thonyht  of  waiting  another  dav  for  his  affian.r,] 
M^  he  burst  the  hounds  of  restraint  an.l  suddenlv  should, 
(  .  ho.  (  ,  ho!  Constant  I  Ord..r  a  earriaw  without  livm 
;i'"l  "•"<■  'lrcs.s  me  I"  Takin-  wiih  him  onlv  Kin"  Murai 
l'>-  nnpulsiv.dy  ,lash..l  off  in  a  March  downp.nir.  ^Vh,.„  th.^ 
Pnstilh.nis  of_  th..  Kinp.vs.s'  coach,  who  were  laborimuslv 
inun,.  on  th.-ir  horses  throu-h  the  mu.l  and  storm,  saw  ti.; 
Kniperor  stan.lin-  out  of  the  rain  und..r  th,.  porch  of  a  conn- 
try  ..hur.-h  they  \v,.re  striL^k  spee.'hh.ss  uith  astonisliin..nt 
An  ..querry  ri.lm-  Ix.side  the  .-oach  lo..k..,l  in  the  diivction  of 
th..ir  startl...!  -az,.,  and  as  he  .saw  th..  drenched  monarch  run- 
iimtr  toward  Imn  lie  .-ried.  "  L"Kiiipereur !" 

The  ..oa..!!  st..p  was  ,|uickly  loweivd  and  in  another  inomont 
the  Lmp,.ror  had  hi.  a;-ms  aroun.l  the  ne- k  of  Marie  Louise. 
""■"  '!•'  iiiii'l''  th..  hi-hly  important  statem..nt,  "  Vou  are 
.sur..|y  not  afrai.l  of  mud  l""  Marie  Loni.s..  made  th..  far  more 
si-nili,.ant  ohs..rvafion.  '-Why.  you  ar..  mn.'h  l.,.tt..r  lookiiiL' 
tlian  y.)ur  picture !" 

I.at..  Ill  a  stormy  ..v.-nintr  the  soakin-  postillions  and  niueli 
hesp.,tt..r..<l  .-oa-h  drew  up  at  th.'  foot  of  th.>  st..ps  of  the  pa^uv 
of  (■omF)i.-..rn...  Aft.'r  -..ttin-  ri.l  of  th,.  in..vital)l..  cer..Mionies 
tii..r..  in  short  or.l..r.  th..  Kmpn-.ss  r,.tir..,l  to  h..r  apartments, 
uh.r,.  sh,.  was  soon  ,;oi.M..i  by  th.'  Hmp,.ror.  He  had  intemi.Hl 
to  lo.lj,',.  imdt.r  aiioth..r  roof,  but  on  ,.onsulf in.-  both  le^al  and 
r..li..'ious  a,lvis,.rs.  h..  r..,-,.iv,.,|  th,.  w..|,-om..  as,suran..e  that  the 
marnasre  by  proxy  was  a  marria<r..  in  fa.-t.  as  had  b..,.ii  .1,>- 
'••rmined  ni  the  instance  of  Henry  IV  and  Mane  .ie  Medici. 


TlIF,  SKCONi)  ^iARRIACK 


:?07 


III  t!h  'iiillcry  of  Apollo  at  St.  C'loud,  where  XapolcDii  first 
-i/ii  till'  reins  of  jioucr  and  wiicre  lie  .vas  first  acclaimed 
ijiilMiur.  his  union  with  th"  daii<:liter  of  the  Uapsliurus  \vas 
eoiitii'iicd  ]'y  a  civil  iiiarriaKe.  after  wliicli  a  LH-and  entry  into 
Talis  was  made  for  the  pur])ose  of  another  rcli<rious  ni.'r- 
nii'jr,  liiit  this  +iine  not  hy  proxy. 

The  l!iiii)eror  u]  'lie  Kmpress  ontered  the  city  nnder  the 
unlinishcd  Are  cte  Triomphe  de  I'Etoile,  to  which  .')(>()()  work- 
i:irii  had  hastily  given  the  anjx'arance  of  eouqdetion  by  tlie 
ibf  of  wood  and  canvas.  Marie  Louise  sat  in  the  ^'ilded  eor- 
oiiation  (■()a<-li  ^\  here  Josepliino  had  sat  only  a  little  more  than 
;i\v  vciiis  hefore.  and  wore  th(>  crown  of  diamonds  that  had 
-;.irki'  d  on  the  ln'ow  of  her  Creole  predecessor.  Hut  a  more 
i^'piictiiitr  siiiiiTestion  than  that  was  presented  as  she  drove 
a-i.iNS  the  Place  de  la  (Vmcorde,  where  her  great-aunt,  ]\Iarie 
Aiitniiictte,  had  died  on  the  scaffold  sixteen  years  bi'fore,  a 
-'.;:-.  vtimi  that  miuht  have  awakened  hittei'  memories  in  a 
!"  i-uii  having  a  livelier  imaeination. 

Tlic  iHiiutiful  Salon  Cari'e  of  the  Louvre,  from  wjiose  wdls 
Mi.i!,i  Lisa  smiles  her  inscrutalile  smile  and  the  immortal 
'r'ai.iMis  (if  Raphael,  Titian  and  the  nuisters  look  down  upon 
'i..'  Wdiidcring  visitors,  had  beei;  eonvei'ted  into  a  elmpel  for 
tlic  third  marriage  cei'eiiiony.  On  velvet  cushioned  b'.'nches 
t!a'  niM  leiieth  of  the  (ii'aiid  (lallery  opening  out  of  tliat  ini- 
i'l'iviscd  i|i;i|H'l,  400(1  women  sat,  and  behind  them  in  double 
iiiws  stood  4000  men,  while  Napoleon  enthroned  his  young 
Miilc  licsidi-  him  and  the  nuptial  benediction  was  i)ronouneed 
ly 'li'   Cardinal  (ir;ind  Almoner  of  France— Lnele  Fesch  I 

li'  (Irthtdiicd  -Josephine  viewed  fi'om  her  melancholy  re- 
■'vat  the    Ilmperor's   in'w   domestic   relations.     Although   she 

'!-  iis  11.  ill'  as  .Malm..ison,  she  wrote  assuring  him, 

I  -liali  live  lure  n ;  it'  T  were  KIDO  leauues  frnm  Paris.  I  have 
"■ii<!i-  a  ;;rcat  sacr.  .ce.  Sire,  and  cwvy  day  I  feci  more  ;  n<l  nmre 
'i"'  full  extent  (if  It.  .  .  .  It  will  be  a  coiiiplete  eti'  as  far  as  I  am 
niiicpnu'd.  Vmiu-  Majesty  shall  net  lie  treuiiled  '•  your  lia|)piness 
liy  iiny  exptcssiiiii  (,r  my  re-ivt.  I  shall  pray  iiic 'ssaiil  ly  that  Vein- 
"■ijfsty  may  he  h;ippy.  |H'rlia]is  I  may  even  piay  that  I  may  see 
.'•"U  a-ain.     Put  let  Y,,i,r  .Majesty  be  assured  1  shall  always  respect 


308 


IX  THE  FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLEON 


the  new  situation  in  which  Your  ]\r,ijr>ty  Puds  yourself,  and  respect 
it  in  silonco. 

It  was  indeed  a  stranpro  and  difficult  part  tlio  divorced  Em- 
press was  called  upon  to  i)iay,  but  she  etTaccd  herself  as  s\\r. 
cessfully  as  in  other  days  she  had  home  the  tierce  and  sear< '' 
iniL'  liuht  that  beats  upon  a  throne.  Xeither  Josephine  nor 
Napoleon  in  their  separation  ever  ^'ave  tiie  least  occasion  for 
evil  jrossi]).  althou^di  the  first  recorded  tears  of  Marie  Louise 
in  France  were  shed  one  day  when  the  Emperor  had  <;oni'  'o 
call  on  her  predecessor.  Those  tears  only  si^Miify,  houev. 
that  she  had  c<iine  to  care  enough  for-  her  husband  to  cry 
over  hiiM. 

^hp'ie  Louise  was  not  troubled  to  find  that  in  lier  nianii^e 
slie  had  only  e.\chan<,'e(l  palace  i)risons  and  that  a  hushaiid 
instead  of  hei-  father  had  become  h(>r  warder.  Asleep  oi 
awake,  she  was  heiiniied  in  by  a  <-niard  of  ladies  in  waitintr 
and  women  attendants  and  never  was  permitted  to  bo  alone 
in  the  presence  of  a  num. 

The  Emperor  })ara(led  his  captive  in  imperial  protrresses 
to  various  parts  of  Fnince  and  she  insisted  on  ^'oin^'  with 
him  evci-y where.  After  the  marriage  formalities  in  Pans 
they  had  returned  to  ('ompicLrne.  and  that  palace  remains 
the  most  distinct  souvenir  of  Mai'ie  liOuise.  No  confusiiis: 
reeollections  of  .Lisephine  clintr  to  its  leafy  park  and  stately 
halls,  for  she  seldom  if  ever  stayed  there.  On  the  visitors' 
register  Freneh.  citizens  of  many  minds  have  scrawled  their 
ex|)rcssions  of  the  ctiU)tions  ai'ouscd  by  the  place:  "Vive 
I'Empcreur!"  "Vive  le  Poi  de  Rome!"  "Vive  le  Prince 
\'ictor  et  la  Princes.se  Clementine  I"  "Marie  Louise,  in- 
fjrate.  who  could  not  comprehend  an  incomparal>le  genius!" 
"Poor  little  harp  of  I'Aiirlon!"  "Vive  la  Republique— 
Liberte.  Egalite.  Fraternite ! "'     "How  times  have  chanircd!" 

As  thi>  ofticial  shepherd  herds  his  tourist  flock  over  the  foot- 
weary  im,--  pari|Uetry  of  the  palace,  his  mumbled  story  is  of 
the  luidal  ciunnber  of  Marie  Louise  and  her  now  tublcs.s  bath- 
room-,  of  her  music  I'oom.  the  piano  Napoleon  gave  her:  the 
dimitnitive  harp  of'  ilie  Kinir  of  Honu".  and  his  cliiUii^li  chair 
sittinjj,   (jathetically  before  it  as  if  the  little   boy  puiple  had 


THE  SECOND  MARK  I  A*,  u: 


:ino 


n;ily  jiis'  nil'  (lilt  to  f  up  oil  tlic  (.'I'iissy  liiiiik  of  the  lake. 
The  camp  <!im!ii:  tai'le  oi  Napoleon  is  also  ainoii<;  tlic  i'x!iil)its, 
;iii  iiifrt'iiii'us  CO)  MivaiiLH'  which  ini;ilit  accoiniiiod.i*  ■  a  larj^o 
■iini|)aiiy  ni  <inv^\s  wln'ii  sjircatl,  bi  whicii  when  folded  haif  a 
liwcii  times  couhl  aim     *  be  carried  under  tiie  ai'iu. 

T'  (■  bed  on  which  .Marie  Antoinette  sl.'pt  the  tirst  ni'^'ht  she 
niisv  d  under  a  Hoiirbon  roof,  and  t'le  bed  of  llie  Eiii|)ress 
iJiL'iiiie  lii.  tho'<e  unfortiuiatt'  >"Ver(  i^nis  witii  .Marie  i.,<i,;ise, 
w!ii!c  the  statue  )f  Joan  of  .Vrc  down  in  the  viihi^'e  S(iuare 
1"  :!s  that  it  was  theic  the  maid  was  arrested.  Compiegno 
•Iuis  pn'sents  a  strange,  sad  cpiartet  of  women. 

lii  tlic  garden  of  tiie  palace  is  a  stone  seat,  ^vhicli  is  known 
as  Niipdlcon's  bench,  since  there  tlie  eas-'le  often  pei'ched  in  the 
raiitiiious  days  of  his  wedded  joys  and  tlie  full  meridian  of 
liis  -iiiry.  Yet  only  four  years  after  those  .\pril  dreams  and 
.Ipril  ho|)es  on  the  gai'den  bi'iich  at  ('oiiii)iegiie.  alien  troops 
iii!-^t  into  that  very  park  and  the  terrace  ran  with  the  lilood 
if  Kriiichnien  defendinj;  the  honeymnnn  chateau  of  .Napoleon 
ami  Marie  Louise  \'v'>m  the  assair's  of  Russia,  Austriii,  and  all 
Kuiope  banded  against  the  son-in-law  of  the  Ilapsburg.'- 


t!i 


I 


cir.\PTi:ii  XXXVI r 

TEIK  KINT;  of  ROME 

ISll       ACII-:    4  1 

TTir:  world  paused  to  listen  ;,.s  the  stork  liovored  aliov, 
""■  I'itliicc  iioiiK'  of  Xapolcon  and   .Marie  Louise  in  ti.' 
'i'Hy   s,,rui-   of    IMl.      If   it    sliould    l,e   omIv   a  .'iri 
Iw.nty-one  ^suus  were  to  I.e  fir.Ml,  hut  if  a  i)ov.  lol  thunderous 
salvos  w.  re  to  proejam.  the  hirlh  (d'  an  heir  to  the  soverei-iitv 
ot   tl   •  earth.  "    ' 

In  the  Tuileries.  two  -or<r.'Ous  little  erilKs  stood  side  liv  sj.l.. 
one  pmk.  \lu'  o-.her  blue,  .\earhy  thein  rose  the  -ift  of  li.. 
'•ity  ot  I'arrs,  a  niatrnitieent  eradl...  desiL'Ue.l  hv  the  famous 
iirti.st.  i'rudhon.  It  was  inlaid  with  uiotiier  of  pearl  .iml 
-olden  hees.  an.l  at  its  head  a  uinir,.,i  ,■,.,„,,  „f  (;]„,,.  i,.,^!  ,, 
-rown  hi-h  ahove  the  pilluw.  whil,.  a  youn-  ea-le  peVeI.ed  .t 
til.'  toot  with  win-s  outspread  ready  for  tli-ht.  A  -reat  heap 
ot  lacy,  tiny  •.'annents  had  l>een  made  at  a  cost  of  ^tHKim. 
and  a  -overr.ess  fn.ni  i|,e  hi-hest  nohility  was  in  iradiiiess  to 
take  her  appointed  place  of  honour  in  the  imperial  niirscrv. 
^  When  a^year  had  passed  sin.v  .Marie  Louise  nia.lc  her  entry 
into  the  Kinpire,  the  monstrous  dapper  of  the  ^Mvat  hell  in 
the  south  tow.M-  of  .\otre  Dame  sounded  a  sunuaons  to  tlh' 
•  Icvoiit,  whieh  was  chimed  1,\  all  tlie  ehurch  li^lls  of  Fiiris. 
callin-  „p,„i  the  people  to  -ive  th<'  id-lit  ove"  to  praver  for 
the  Kmpr.-ss.  Karly  in  the  .no-dnn:  while  the  Kuipei'or  was 
resortinu'  to  his  custoinai'y  ivm.'dy  for  strained  ner\-es  in  a 
sfeaminu  iiath.  Dr.  Duhois.  the  f„reni.,st  maternity  specialist 
ot  Pans,  e.xciledjy  iiurst  in  upon  him  to  say  thai  the  cvciil 
was  al  hand,  and  that  he  feared  either  the  uiofher  or  the 
child  must  lie  saerilieed. 


Xai 


loleuii  always  was  true  in  his  simpler  moments.     In  tl 

.'ilO 


TlIK   KTN'C  OF  \{(^y\K 


:ni 


lirt'sciici'  (if  llif  iirolilnii  invsciilcil  to  him  li\-  tin-  I'livsiriaii. 
,  iiimiiiiitIi  iiiiii  his  (ixiiiislii-  iiiiihii  ions  '_MVr  v,ii\  In  ihr  man 
;iii,l  tJK'  husltanil.  ••('omr!  ('omcl  .M.  Duhdi^!"  in'  cx- 
,.!;,iiii(Ml.  "I'o  not  h)sc  your  hrail  !  What  wdiihl  \nu  ihi  in 
•'ir  siiiuc  rii'"umst,inr('s  il'  you  ucrr  altiiiilin','  the  wife  ot  a 
•  ,',ii,'  I  )n  just  as  y(Ui  wouhl  if  you  were  in  tiif  house  of  a 
:.,,,;,  >iiian  in  the  I\uc  St.  Dmis.  I'.r  rai-(  ful  of  the  inoliuT 
and  ill''  ''hild,  hut  if  yo\i  cjninot  save  hoth,  sa\c  ihc  laotiirr 
for  nil'.     WhatfVi-r  hniipctis  coMsiih'i-  her  first." 

Il  was  not  far  from  nine  o'ch)cl<  in  the  niorninir  when  a 
nil,!'  jinuinl  rliihi  cntci'id  tiic  woi'id  whi'-h  was  to  lie  his  hii'tli- 
riL'lit.  Mul  thi'  lilth'  cauh'  was  sih'iit.  Iiluc,  au'l  .ippai'tMitly 
lit  less  ami  Napol.'ou  no  more  tlian  ^'lam-fd  at  tiu'  tin\  ti;j.urt' 
;;s  it  lay  iiri'lcctfd  on  the  tlooi'.  Only  wlimi  the  Km|irfss  had 
;;!iir,i,  did  the  governess  turn  to  the  all-tiut-forti'ottt'ii  and 
-;|'|N.scdly  dead  child.  Fnrrini;'  hrtucen  its  dumh  lips  a  droji 
■  ■{  liaiidy,  she  slapped  its  still  body  and  wrapped  it  in  hut 
doths. 

It  was  seven  minutes  after  tlio  birth  wlien  a  faint  cry 
-tiUlled  the  company.  .\t  that  feeble  wail,  i  wild  joy  leaped 
into  ''u-  heart  of  .\apoleon.  and  he  bent  ove:'  the  inheritor  of 
!ii.s  throne,  the  pi'ri)etuatoi-  of  hi^  dynasty,  the  Kinii'  of  Rome! 
Paris  and  l'"i-ance  and  all  the  subject  nations  still  waited 
and  watcli.  d  for  the  news  until  the  signal  battery  of  the 
lintel  d's  Invalides  bcLMU  to  boom.  Th(>  city  stopped  and 
liciukcncd  ;  the  peoiile  in  the  streets  stood  still:  the  trades- 
inni  in  the  sliojis  came  to  their  doors:  the  women  in  the  bonies 
opened  their  windows.  Wtieu  they  had  counted  twenty-one. 
it  seemed  as  if  the  salute  had  ceased,  so  tense  was  the  cnriosity. 
so  ini|)ati 'lit  were  the  counters  with  the  ]iause.  As  another 
silvo  rolhd  over  the  city,  however,  th"  roar  of  the  ^'nns  was 
drowned  in  the  (dieers  of  the  jn'ople. 

.Muic.  lilanehard  sailed  away  in  a  ballo  n  to  s.>att(>r  printed' 
I'Ulletins  in  her  |)ath  and  carry  t!u>  tidi  -is  beyond  the  revei'- 
lieniliotis  of  the  cannon.  The  seniaiihore  tcdet'i-aph  flashed 
the  incssau'e  thrmiLrh  the  sunshine  that  sutTused  ^]u'  natal 
diiy,  and  by  irnon  the  (dieers  were  ridliiif;  ovi-r  the  Empire 
iVo'M  liVons  to  Antwerp,  from  llrest  to  Strasburg. 


t 


:n: 


1\  TlIK  FOOTSTKI'S  UF  .\.\POLF':0.\ 


A   cfiii'ii  ;•   fiiri'il   to   N'ii'tiiiii   wifli   !i   jiihiljiiit    note   frntii  tl 


fatlicr  t(t   Ilic   u'liiinlt'.it  lirf,   iiml   iiiiiillirr   N|it(|    fo  tlic   el 


ijiii'iiii 


(if    XilVJUTC,    ullilT    thr    lir\t    (lilV    tllr  lloOP  of  JoScpll  illc 's  .ipiirt- 

iiiciit    Wiis   iKiisily    lliinwii   Open   liy   nil    iislicr.   wlio  cried    ''A 


ini'ssiiLTi' 


I  I'Olll      till'      |-]lll|ll'l' 


01'!  "  'I'll'  ilivori't'd  lOnipicss  r«;i(l: 
■■-My  son  is  a  luir.  iiraltliy  lioy.  lie  has  my  clicst,  my  mouth, 
my  (\vcs.     I  li(i|i,-  III    will  rultij  his  ili'stiiiy." 

Josc[>hiiic  (lisrldsi  il  no  twiii^'c  of  nivy.  Imt  said  to  a  t'rii'inl 
ill  simph'  siiii'iiity,  -'I  am  hap|)y  to  sec  that  tlic  sacrifirc  1 
liavc  made  for  l-'iaiui-  lias  hrcn  of  iisi',  and  that  tho  coiiiitry's 
^'iitiirc    is    assiH'.'d.     IldW    hap|)y    thr    Kiiipcroi-    must    bi'!" 


Alas,  till'  irilt    hci'  intuition    had  i-ho 


l>.'il> 


sen  was  a   pui   toi'  a  t'lr 


<>nf  day  she   was  to  receive  a  chuidcstim'  visit  f 


rniii 


til''  I'hild  in  thi'  littlr  i-liatcau  of  iJa^'ati'lIc,  at  the  t'djie  of  the 
I'.i  is  ill'  P.ouloiriu',  and  pi-css  to  her  bosom  the  son  of  Na- 
poli'un. 

I'd  a  spi'cdy  convalcsrcncc    h^aviii;:  hor 


.Marii'   l-ou 


isf  en  |o\ 


tird   whrn   thr  lialu' 


was  nut  si'Vi'nti'cn  davs  ol 


md  aj)pcariii!.' 


hiforc  the  puhlic  on  tin-  tcrracf  in  tiic  ^'anh-n  ten  days  hiter. 
'I"hi'  infant  was  niifscd  for  foi.'  ccn  iiionths  at  tiie  hreast  of 
'111'  \v,ft'  (if  a  palai-c  mrciianic,  and  tin-  matci'nal  ins'inct  seems 


never 


to  1 


lave  heeii  Very  deeply  aroused  in  tli 


e  cirl  III 


other 


I'rohably  the  little  fellow  was  oftener  in  the  a-ms  of  his 
father  than  of  hi'  mother.  The  Kmperor  proudly  took  liiiii 
to  the  jialaee  windows  to  show  Idm  to  the  peoph-,  and  he  pre- 
sented him  hefiire  the  iiii|ierial  Liiiard  to  receive  his  lirst 


'I'he  liaptism  took'  p 


It   Xoti'e   I);: 


Inte 
till 


le  tiapnsm  took  place  ar  .\<n\\'  l^ame  in  -June,  wi.eii  tlie 
lather  caii'ied  his  child  fi'om  the  font  to  the  porch  of  the 
lii'eat  cath"dral  and  held  him  up  before  tlie  thousands  who 
crowded  the  open  space.  It  was  the  last  time  that  Napokon 
and  i'aris  were  to  I'c.joice  toiretlier.  Feasts  were  spreaii  in 
the  'ii|uares  and  the  beautiful  cai)ital  j,'lcam(Hl  at  ni^ht  like  a 
frem-.studded  crown. 

Princes  of  the  Fmpire  swarmed  the  city  and  deputations 
canir  from  all  hhii-ope  to  see  the  lieir  of  the  master  of  iiiankiiul 
chri.^iened  Napoleon  Fi'ancis  dost-ph  Chailes  and  formally  in- 
vested with  the  proudest  ol'  titles,  the  Kinir  of  Kome.  In  the 
Fternal  City  iisdf,  the  capiiol  and  the  coliseum,  the  .iiicieiit 


TIIK  Kl\<i  <)!••  HO.MK 


313 


.III  IP  >  ;iriil  coluiiiiis,  tlic  ddiiU'  i)t'  ;'t.  I'cti-r's  iiiid  llic  ciistlr  of 
St.  Aiifii'li"  1 1  lazed  w  itli  illiniiiiiai  inns  tlmt  lit  up  tlir  scmh  liills, 
iiml  Na|M)lc()M  dccrt'i'd  tliat  tlic  siicii'ssors  to  his  throiir  sliould 
;ilua\^  111'  twici'  rrowned,  at  a  lioinaii  as  woll  as  a  Tarisiaii 
.  (I'liiiatioii. 

Tlir  i;iiii>t'ror  followed  the  pompous  corcmony  at  Notre 
Daiiir  with  a  ^'I'cat  IVtc  for  the  ])opMla('c  at  St.  Cloud.  Tiirco 
l.uinliid  thousand  people  feasted  and  spoited  ill  the  lovely 
piiik  111  that  eliateau,  wliefe,  in  the  evenir.j:.  the  nohle  outlines 
l'  till  palace  of  the  Kinj;  of  Home  at  Chaillot,  which  t!  c 
III  hiin  ts  already  l>ad  designed,  were  traced  in  lire,  while  the 
Haiiiiii','  crown  of  the  child  tloated  in  tht  sky,  where  it  had 
!"  -n  discliarired  from  a  frreat  halloon.  Alas,  that  palace  at 
Cliailldt  was  no  more  than  a  castle  in  the  air,  for  neither 
mwiis  nor  palaces  was  the  Kinp  of  Rome  to  po.s.sess 

A  tavoiii'ite  playtime,  when  the  infant  kin<»  had  passed  into 
hiliiliiiod,  was  at  the  Emperor's  hreaki'ast,  when  he  liked  to 
liuM  I, is  hoy  on  liis  knee,  perhaiis  dipping  his  own  tinkers 
mill  Mime  sauce  anil  siiiearintj  the  little  face  v>  itli  it.  In 
;i!inllirr  sc  lie  that  fjrew  familiar  to  tlie  court,  the  Emiieror 
^i.iril  (111  his  sofa,  studied  state  papers  with  the  child  beside 
liiiii.  or.  holdinw  him  in  his  lap,  he  sat  at  his  desk  scratching 
l;i>  siu'iiature  on  orders  and  decrees  for  Europe  to  obey. 
Whni  his  infantile  majesty  tore  to  pieces  a  yuardsman's  jilume 
oiir  ilay  wliile  the  veteran  was  liohlinp  him,  Duroc  told  the 
s"Mi.  r  to  let  the  Prince  have  his  fun  and  he  gave  hiiii  an  order 
fill'  'wo  plumes  to  take  its  place. 

Tlic  kr(iv(>rness,  Mme.  de  Montesquieu — "Mamma  Que" — did 
imt  hiiiiiour  the  Kin?  in  his  naujrhliness.  When  she  thou^rht 
li'  was  old  enough  to  know  better,  sho  found  a  way  to  bring 
1  i!ii  iMit  of  a  spasm  of  screamiiig  rage..  She  simply  closed  ail 
U!.'  windows,  and  as  the  yelling  urchin  lyin^'  on  the  floor  saw 
li'i  riMsiiig  them,  his  curiosity  was  aroused.  "I  did  it,"  the 
irnviiiicss  soberly  explained,  "so  tliat  the  people  would  not 
1  :'a!-  you.  For  tlie  Frencli  never  woidil  iiave  a  king  who  be- 
ii:i\'  1  so  badiy  as  yon  have  been  behaving." 

Til.'  '.Kiv.'i'iiess,  however,  was  alarmed  many  times  b.v  the 
>'  iaiiinly  careless  and  sometimes  rough  manner  in  which  the 


I 


^ 


;il4  IN  TilK   FOOTSTKI'S  OF  NAl'OLKoN 

I'i.-l..  |.li,y..,l  w,tl,  his  |,.,„I..r  tl...l-di.,-  II..  f„s.sr,|  |,i„,  al,oi,t 
lM.i.sl.T.„isiy  n.iir,!  u„  tl„.  (lour  uith  lii,,,,  unJitr,!  |.,„.  .louu 
"'"',"  '"-  ^'^"'■''  -"■'Pl-'i  an.mi.l  lui...  -av.-  hn.i  fhin-.  f„ 
.■at  t  mt  ,.ps..i  lus  st.MM...-l,.  a.Ml  a.-,  tl,..  .l-.on,us  .lau^^htrr  of 
'"'  I!"!';''.""''-'-  "••-'t.'  I:.r  lath,.,.,  uas  ••nviv  ,lnl.l,sl,  -MnV 
",""•,,  "  "'"  '•'"'•'  ''"'I  \vli.M  l„.  ,na,|..  auli.l  fa.vs  at  lum 
!'"", '''',",'"■'■,'"■  ■■'■'"''-'  '"'"■  ■•'\lMi:  A  k.n^r  aiHl  .TviM..' 
%";,;  ,''"■•',  *'"'•'■  '"  ''■"•^'  '"•  -l-aiikr,!  iiin,  i,,  til..  n,vs..nr,. 
;•'    '",1"'".  ""■  tia..,.,|ia..,  ia.t  only  lur  tli..  •■fun  of  snankn.' . 

Kllltr. 

As  tl...  Kiissian  war  HoihIs  [..wm.,!,  tlic  E,n|...n.r  lia,l  vv.m.len 
bo,.ks  ,.t  many  kiM.is  an.l  ,-oiuurs  ,„,  ,|,..  r.|.r..s,.„tiMi:  th.  nnits 
<>t''man„y,  ,.n,ilh.s,.  I;,.  ,.,nvtullyarra.P.v,lan,|  muvr.l  ahnut 
'"  ^"'"'"'^  '■xprrini-niai  ..|HTaIin„s.  jl  tlir  h„v  ,.l,a,ir,.,l  to 
MM.  Ins  tallHrlvi.i^rou  llir  llo.,r  ap,,an..,i  Is  |>las  in- wtli  those 
P'^'ltv  tnys  l„.  naturally  insislr.l  „n  takin-  a  han.l  in  tli.  ^'a>u,.. 
Altioimh  lir  inrvitahly  l.r.M-ht  .-.MifusmM  u|,.,n  thr  thou^-ht- 
nilly  i)rn,)..,.tr,l  nian.,.uvn>  i,,  uliicj,  tiir  (inat  Captain  was  hi- 
^H^vd,  h..  nrvrr  uas  rrnriman.led  or  iiinunvd  the  iK'nalty  of 
a  frown.  '  ■' 

«»ut  at  IJanihouillrt  tiirrc  stands,  on  th.-  hordor  of  the 
chat. 'an  park,  tli.-  only  palace  tiu-  f.-nd  fath.'r  h..for..  hast.'iiin(? 
to  Ins  lall  ..r.vtrd  h,r  Ins  son.  an.l  if  is  still  known  as  "l.' 
I  i'lais  .In  l.'oi  .1..  lUmu:'-  Aithoimh  th..  strn,.ture  is  tli.^  size 
ol  a  ronitoriahl..  tlir....-story  .hvellin-  ,t  was  m.-ant  oiilv  as 
a  playhousr  for  ti...  |,ttl..  K,,,-  wh.r..  froiii  a  miiiii..  tiimne 
'"'■  '-""Id  hol.l  Ins  .•hildish  eonrt  an.l  anms..  himself  with  rc- 
luarsais  of  th,-  part  for  wliieii  his  fath.^r  had  .'ast  him  in  the 
'••■'""a  <'l  !':'■  Nvli.Mi  le.  should  be  the  lord  of  the  pahices  of 
huroi)e. 

In  til.,  sha.ly  .i.-pths  of  tlie  park  at  KaiMbouill..t  lies  the  verv 
ro.-k  on  whi.-h  all  th..  hop,.s  of  fatlu'r  an.l  son  w.-re  wireked. 
i-or  on  that  smootli-topp...l  ston..  un.ier  tlie  trees,  Xapol.'on 
spread  ins  maps  m  .May  of  IMl,  and  planned  th..  fatal  Rus- 
sian eam|.ai-ii  of  the  following'  year.  An.l  alon-si.l..  til.'  wall 
ot  til..  i)ark  ran  an.l  runs  the  iiitrhwav  t.)  Chartres,  to  Koehe- 
fort  and  on  to  St.  Il.lciia  ! 

It  well  may  have  been  tlien  and  th.'re,  bv  that  roek  in  the 


1 


XaI'OLLu.N    AM)    III-,    :-uS,    liV    SlLLiiKS 


MICROCOPY    RESOLUTION    TEST    CHART 

'ANSI  and  ISO  TEST  CHART  No    2 


1.0 


I.I 


1.25 


l!M    IIIIIM 


3? 
3,6 


1.4 


lllll  2.2 
1  2.0 


i.8 


1.6 


_^  APPLIED  irvVIGE 

S^",  T653   Cost   Moin   St'eet 

~.^  Rochester,    New    Vc-ii         '4609 

'■^  v''6)   *82  -  OiOO  -  Pho'- 

=  (716)   288  -  5989  -  Fa. 


THE  KING  OF  KOME 


315 


fnivM  of  Riiinl.ouillrt.  iis  lie  lookr.l  up  froiii  liis  map  to  soo 
tlu'  two  iiiontlis"  old  Km-  iTrli,,inir  in  his  hal.v  cai-riii'-i-  that 
Napolron  Kavi-  ilu>  si^h  ,.,.j,or,l  ],y  history,'  '•  1 'oor"  rhih'l  ! 
What  a.  s;iarl  I  siiall  h^avo  to  you:"  I>,„t  'f„rtun..  hr|,i  tho 
skcin  and  tiic  trmit  fatalist  was  lidph'ss  to  unravfl  Irr 
t;iiiL;k'd  wi-li. 

That  th.'  hirth  of  tlio  Kin-  of  Rom.',  and  tlic  n-alisalion  of 
Ids  father's  lon-in-  for  a  successor  to  prrpctuatf  his  dvnastv, 
sliouhl  (h'tiuiti'ly  rnari^  tlic  hrLriiiiiiiii:  of  th<'  vnd  of  tl'iu  Eiii- 
I'lH'    is   anion-   the   ironies   and    paradoxus   of   historv.     liut 
it  III!  iiiccly  fits  info  the  lo<ric  of  cv^'nts.     For  with  t'ii  ■  <-om- 
iiiu'  of  th,'  l)al)y.  Xapoh-on  viewed  the  (■ompletion  of  liis  ])iaa 
(.1    discoiuiccfin-    liis    Empire    from    its    or-inal    source    of 
I"i\ver.    the    dniiocrai-y,    and    of   connecting?   it    with    anotlier 
souive,  the  old  principle  of  le-itiniary  and  rule  by  ri-lit  divine. 
The  French  looke.l  on,  without  enthusiasm  aiid  with  many 
cinllin-  misL'ivin-s,  at  each  successive  step  he  had  taken  away 
iiem  them  and  Imck  toward  the  institutions  oveHhrown  in  the 
ic  volution.     AVhen    he    put    away    his    wife,    a   dau-hter   of 
I- ranee,  he  wounded  the  tiomestic  sentiment  of  the  nation  and 
wc;,ken.'d  the  chain  that   hound  the  people  to  his  monarchy. 
Ill  !iis  alliance  with  the  Ilapshur-s  at  his  marria-e  with  .Marie 
L'Hiise,   the   people   saw  the   dissolution   of  his  allianc(>   witli 
tlicm  and  they  awakened  to  the  re-n-t  that  lie  had  not  onlv  di- 
vorced himself  from  Josephine,  hut  from  them  as  well. 

The  Emperor  remained  constant  to  the  Repuhlic  only  in 
liis  ar.parel.  Althou-h  lie  had  aholished  its  name  and  covered 
the  h'reiich  people  with  the  -old  hi'aid  of  his  imperial  livery, 
lie  reserved  for  himself  the  privile-e  of  dressin-  in  the  re- 
puiilican  simplicity  of  the  Revolution.  He  had  only  two 
styles  of  elothin-.  a  blue  coat  for  Sundays,  and  for  eveiy-dav 
^vcar  a  Kreeu  coat  with  a  sin-le  row  of  white  buttons,  a  white 
waistcoat,  and  a  fresh  paii-  of  white  knee  breeches  daily— be- 
cause he  would  wip(  his  (|uill  on  them— and  silk  stockin<rs 
with  crold  buckles  on  his  shoes.  On  his  shoulders,  he  wore  the 
iiiedi'st  epaulets  of  a  mere  colon(>l,  and  on  his  breast  a  silver 
'1'  -oration  of  the  Leiiion  of  Honour,  with  the  -rand  cordon 
the  order  beneath  his  coat.     His  cravat  was  alwavs  black. 


■'iHi  IN  'IIII':   K()()TS'l'i:i'S  OF  NAPOLEON 


Wlirii  iir  was  (■oiiiiilainiiitr.  "1  liavc  more  ci'ouns  than  ! 
kiiMW  wlial  1(1  (Id  with."  lie  still  wovr  110  other  hat  than  tlic 
lilack  thi'fc-conici'cd  .•haixaii  of  fcvoliitiotiai'v  days  with  it^ 
triciiloui-  cdckadc  Solicr  as  that  licadLrcaf  was.  lie  was  |)ai-- 
ticiilar  ahdiit  its  coiidilidii  and  |Uaiity,  hnyiii^'  as  niany  as  a 
scdi'c  of  hals  in  a  year — tl)c\-  ai'c  scattrrcd  tiirou'^diotit  th'' 
inuscunis  of  Kurojx — and  jiayin^  $1'J  each  for  tlicni.  .More- 
over. Consiaiit  always  had  to  lii'eak  them  in  by  wearintr  them 
I'or  scNcral  (ia\s  hefore  they  adorned  the  imperial  head. 

Knamclled  snutV  ho.xes  were  another  of  Napoleon's  few  ex- 
tra vai:ances.  lie  nevei'  smoked,  ami  he  took  siiutf  rather  as 
a  nervous  lialiit  than  to  satisfy  any  cravinL:  for  nicotine,  shak- 
ing' far  nioi'e  of  the  p  avder  on  the  tloor  oi'  (.'round  than  lie  ewT 
inhaled.  ("olo;,'ne  was  si  ill  another  of  his  induluvin'cs.  His 
handkerchief  was  satui'ated  with  it.  His  hair  reeked  with 
it.  He  hathed  in  it  and  a  bottle  of  it  was  poui'ed  over  liis 
shoulders  every  moi'iiinu'. 

'I'he  man  was  not  a  desjiot  from  vaiuty  so  much  n;s  from  a 
nnlundance  of  the  j)ower  of  masteiy.  with  which  his  nature 
was  endowed.  He  pi'oteste(l  in  all  uood  faith  that  he  was  not 
ovei'-ambitious.  He  was  like  a  iriant  forest  kin<x  whieh,  with 
its  far-i'unnin^'  roots  and  wide-spreadintr  branches,  dwarfs  its 
companions. 

Every  franc  spent  in  France,  in  Italy,  in  Belnrium.  and  in 
hi.s  widely  scattei'ed  possessions  must  luive  tile  P^mperor's  owii 
approval.  "I  kee])  the  key  of  the  treasury  always  in  my 
])ocket."  he  said.      He  trusted  no  subordinates. 

Every  nKncment  of  a  reiriment  amoufr  his  million  troops, 
every  ajjpointment  of  a  seeond-(dass  clei  k  must  liave  his  sanc- 
tion, and  lie  to(;k-  unto  himself  the  elioiee  of  all  the  municipal 
eouncilloi's  of  France.  As  Taiiu^  said.  ".My  armies,  my  fleets, 
my  councils,  my  senate,  my  jxipulations,  my  Empire,"  liatl 
et»me  to  be  .Napoleon's  proprietary  tone.  For  awhile  lie  kept 
the  name  of  the  Repulilic  in  the  Emiiire,  but  since  ]S(»7  he  liad 
boldly  proclaimed  himself  ".Najtoleon  by  the  ^raee  of  God  and 
the  consTitutioii,  Em})ei-or  of  the  French,  King  of  Italy  and 
Protector  of  the  Confederation  of  the  Rhine." 

Duroc  impatiently  clnded  Dumas,  "You  always  commit  the 


THE   KIX(;  OF  KO.MK 


317 


^,1111.'  fiiiilt ;  you  will  aiiswrr  tlu'  Kiiipcroi ."  Yrt  d'oliicr  says, 
"It  was  tlir  out'  \\]'.n  had  vrN'MJ  him  nuxt  in  a  drhatc  whom  lie 
iri'iu'raily  asknl  to  ilinin'i'. '"  Ami  ( 'aiilaiii'-oui't,  nhoso 
(■aiuloiii"  till'  Kiiiiiri'oi'  adiiiir'fil.  and  triisli'd,  tcslilicd:  "Oiicc 
till'  tii'.st  irritation  was  past,  \\r  generously  t'oi-^ave  otrenccs. " 
(i.iieral  iui|'p.  the  hliuit  AKalian.  rvrv  crjised  to  s|ieak  his 
Hiiiid  to  the  Kmpei'oi'  or  to  eoi'iiiiaud  his  I'euard.  "How  do 
yiiur  (.'eniiatis  like  these  little  napoleons.'"  the  Kmperor  asked 
(Hie  day.  as  he  wa:;  exaiiiininL:'  a  new  viutaire  of  twenty  t'raiie 
'juld  pieces.  "IJettei-  than  the  t^reai  one.  sire,"  the  .sohlier 
Iraiikly  re])lied. 

The  Kmperor  brookid  the  most  ^I'oss  insult  tVoiri  Tulley- 
rniid.  He  eaiiie  baek  from  Spain  to  learn  of  moi-e  plottinj; 
ell  the  part  of  his  t,'i'and  ehamlierlain.  and  he  fell  u|)on  liiin 
t'lirieiisly.  When  the  impei'ial  storm  had  spent  itself,  Talh'y- 
r.iiid  turned  to  the  wateliint^  eourtiei's  and  coldly  oliserved, 
"Is  it  not  a  pity  that  so  ureat  a  man  should  have  i)een  so 
pdiirly  lii'ouLdit  up !"" 

In  the  nature  of  things,  a  despotism  ne\er  I'claxes.  but  al- 
ways tends  to  heconie  more  and  more  astrin;_'ent.  since  it  de- 
stroys itidependenee  and  initiative.  In  camp  and  court  alike. 
the  sei'vitors  of  Napoleon  ceased  to  ai'uue  with  him.  correct 
Ills  mistakes  or  even  to  address  him,  except  to  reply  to  his 
uii'stions. 

The  nations  stood  hushed  in  th(>  pi'eseiice  of  his  toweriiif^ 
uiiulit.  As  many  as  thirty  iH>rsons  were  forhidtlen  to  assemble 
anywhere  in  France  without  a  license,  and  no  book  was  per- 
mitted to  be  put  on  sale  until  it  had  been  in  the  hands  of 
the   |iolico  seven  days. 

Althoutrh  the  Emperor  had  suppressed  all  but  eip;ht  news- 
pitpers  in  Paris,  whose  combined  circulation  was  only  l>i,(;:52 
'iipies.  t'.ie  few  survivors  continued  to  annoy  him.  Even 
"AJiile  he  revised  them  with  his  sword,  he  eomplained  that 
"tile  newspapers  are  extremely  badly  editerl."  He  scorn- 
liilly  held  the  .journalist  to  be  "a  frrumbler.  a  eeiistirer,  a  t,'iver 
el'  advice,  a  refrcnt  of  soverei<xns.  a  tutor  of  nations.  Four 
newspapers  are  more  dani^erous  than  100,000  soldiers  in 
arms." 


318 


I\  TlIK   FOOTSTKIN  ()V  NAPOLEON 


ir 


.MiTady  the  l-]ni|)ri'or,  ulio  lia'l  left  home  at  niiii'  ami  lirm 
a  man  cvm-  sim-c,  was  yautiint',  "Tin-  world  is  mtv  olil."  and 
was  vi'toiii",'  cxiM'i'imriits.  " '  <  )|d  pcartircs  ai'c  woi'tli  iiiorr  than 
new  tliroi'ics,"  he  said.  Yet  it  was  only  a  dozen  years  since 
lie  hui'st  upon  l-lurope  and  overwhelmed  her  witli  the  jiow 
of  a  Mew  idea. 

In  an  autoeraey  the  state  au'es  with  the  autocrat.  Xapole(*n 
and  his  mar.^hals  and  minislei's  were  a'jiu'.'  fast.  Ily  reason 
ol"  tile  paee  they  had  uoiie  they  were  pi'emafurely  old.  The 
Em])ei-or,  eah-ulatiiiu'  that  they  wouhl  all  he  lil'ty  at  tiie  same 
lime,  lamented  to  his  eouneil  of  state  tiiat  younijer  men  could 
never  till  their  shoes.  "They  wei'e  all  children  of  the  Revolu- 
tion," he  said,  "tempei'ed  in  its  waters,  and  tlu'V  roso  from 
them  witii  a  viLiour  that  will  iu)t  l)f  repeated." 

The  lean  and  hunirry  Little  Coi'i»oral,  with  his  wajron 
hitched  to  his  star  ami  dashiii'^'  forth  to  meet  victory,  had  now 
left  the  staire  to  the  sated  and  corjiulent  Kmi)eror,  who  was 
only  fully  aroused  at  the  approach  of  adversity.  His  ar- 
teries Were  the  Km|)ire"s  as  well,  and  they  iiardened  tn- 
uctlicr.  '"The  luxuries  of  royalty."  lie  confessed,  "proved 
a  lu'avy  tdiarj,'!'."  As  his  pauncli  developed,  the  body  politic 
became  obese  and  his  inci'easinj''  slu!,'gishiiess  was  communi- 
cated to  the  exti'cmities  of  his  realm. 

His  work  was  d(»ne  or  as  iieai'ly  so  as  he  could  do  it.  lie 
had  carried  the  lievoliition  to  the  borders  of  Russia.  He  had 
swept  aside  the  rubl)isii  of  the  Middle  Alics  a..d  opiMied  the 
way  for  a  new  era.  He  had  struck  feudalism  dead  beyoml 
i-esui'fection  and  crippled  class  privile<j;e  beyond  re|)air. 
I'^veii  in  settiii"-  u]>  a  thi'one  for  himself,  he  had  disclosed,  as 
he  said,  tiiat  thrones  are  "oidy  a  few  deal  planks"  and  thus 
he  had  strippt'd  kiimcraft  of  its  divinity  forever. 

The  man  was  the  victim  of  his  own  success,  the  sport  of  his 
j^enius.  Lach  triumjih  of  his  ar'ms  was  but  a  temptation  to 
seek  another.  Tlie  bii'tli  oi'  an  heir  oidy  inflamed  his  ambition 
to  eidarire  the  child "s  heritatre. 

His  estate  already  stretched  northward  from  the  Medi- 
terranean to  the  Baltic,  and  eastward  from  the  Bay  of  Bis- 
cay to  tlie  Ionian  Scii,  with  vassal  kiiiLTs  and  allied  sovereieiis 


TIIK  Kr.\<;   OF  R(KMK 


:!10 


sliiniliii^'  like  smti'lcs  ;it  llic  (iut|K)sts  of  liis  lii'oad  <lomiiii()ns. 
Kwry  sword,  every  iiiuskct  hctw.'cn  .Madi'id  and  Warsaw  was 
iit  his  coimiiaiid. 

Ill'  had  eclips.'d  the  ini>rlity  ciiipircs  of  the  Assyrians.  Ihr 

l'.,iliyh)iiians    and    the     Persians,    of    AlexanihT,    C'u'sar    and 

I  harlenia^'nc.     Now   at    last   he  liad   thi'   ha[)|)y   lu'oiuise  that 

!,is  seeptre  should  pass  to  no  uidiiieal  hand.      His  blood,  niin- 

-'(1  with  that  of  the  ("a'sars,  siiould  inherit  a  wider  rule  than 

w  r  was  heqiieatlied  Ivdore.     Still  he  was  not  without  a  warn- 

,j   pr'emonitiou.     "It   will   last   as   ion^'  as   I   last,"  lie  said. 

Alti-r  that,  niy  son  may  deem  himself  fortunate  if  he  lias 

.f»(KtO  a  year." 

Vi't  he  could  not  stop.  "T  must  always  he  froinfr,"  lie  said. 
Ih'  must  ever  iro  on  huildiiifr  hipher  and  higher  on  the  ever 
iiaiiuwiny  foundatiou  of  his  own  ])ersonal  despotism. 


ClIAl'Ti:i{  XXXMII 
A  WOULD  AT  \\AI{ 

lrt()9-lSl2      AGK   39— Ij 

OX  till'  eve  of  \a|)olroirs  disastrous  invasion  of  RiKsia 
III  1.^12,  .iuhii  (^uiiit-y  Adams,  tlic  American  iiiinist.r 
at  J'l-tro^'rad,  was  discussing,'  tlic  impending;  contlirt, 
•.yJKMi  a  liit,di  official  al  tlu'  court  of  the  Czar  ciuirj,'ed  it  to 
"Women,  women,  women!"  They  were  responsible,  the 
American  minister  was  assured,  for  all  the  recent  wars  that 
lia<l  convulsed  KurojH".  (Juivn  Louise  had  fanned  the  flames  of 
the  Franco-Prussian  War  in  ISIKI.  The  Kmpress  .Marie  .,f 
Austria  had  stirred  up  the  strife  that  led  to  the  Wa<;rain 
'•ampai-n  in  isoii.  Xow  .,  Hussian  (irand  Duuliess  luul 
liroui-dit   KMissia  and  France  to  swtu'ds'  jtoints. 

While  the  Furope  of  ]S1l'  was  no  pardon  of  Eden  into 
which  it  remained  \\,-  a  dauirht.'r  of  Fve  to  introduce  the 
serpent  of  sti'ife.  there  was  enouirh  truth  in  the  remarU,  which 
Adams  quotes  in  liis  diary,  to  lend  a  faint  colour  to  its  ex- 
aL'j.'eration  and  to  make  the  sister  of  the  Czar  Alexander  a 
figure  in  the  story  of  that  tragic  year.  She  was  the  wife  of 
the  Duke  of  Oldenl-.r-:,  aiul  Xapoleon  havin;;  found  the 
dreary  dunes  of  tlie  tiny  duchy  of  Oldeniiurjr  in  his  way,  had 
annexed  to  his  empire  t!:at  mere  handful  of  (ierman  sand 
hy  the  Xorth  Sea.  The  Duchess  there, ipon  returned  to  Rus- 
sia, carryin<,'  lier  hitter  y:rievance  with  her,  and  the  Dowager 
Czarina  and  the  C/ar  took  up  her  (|uarrel. 

Xo  one  knew  heftei'  tliaii  John  Qiiiiicy  Adams,  however,  tliat 
the  fleets  of  Yankee  scliooiiei's  which  haunted  the  fofys  of  the 
I'altic.  hiddini:-  deliance  to  the  British  hlockade  of  the  sea  ami 
the  French  blockade  of  the  land,  wei'e  a  more  serious  cause 
o'-'  estranir,.nient   between    Xapoleon  and  Alexander  than  the 


A   Woni.t)  AT   WAR 


.'521 


annexation  of  ()!,l,>nlnirur  No  .imihf  nii  iinmriis.>  aniomit  of 
iiritisli  t'ivi._'iit  uii-  \,riuir  ,liiiM|M.,|  ;it  l,'ii>siiii,  |„,rts,  mostly 
l.y  Aiiirrii'iUi  .sliips,  to  li,.  dist  riluitrd  tin'iicr  ov.-r  lOuropc.  Uiit 
wliilf  Alexander  continued  to  exclude  I'.fitisli  vessels,  he 
licclined  to  shut  out  those  rnnii  tlie  I'l  ited  States  and  other 
neutral  nations.  The  C/ar  not  only  ivfused  to  coni|>lv  wiih 
111.'  eonnnands  of  the  Fn'nch  Kiaperor,  hut  he  also  "hoi, II  v 
('liallcni,'ed  him  hy  prohihitint:  tlie  eniry  into  Russia  of  many 
Freni  h  manufactures,  on  tlie  i.rroun(i  ihat  the  wealth  of  his 
'inpire  was  (.•■in-^'  drained  to  pay  for  I'ai'isian  luxuries.  And 
iis  he  defied  him,  he  marshalled  his  ndlitary  forces  near  the 
fi'oMtier. 

The  .sharp  bowsprit  of  the  New  KnL'land  schooner  thus  uas 
!li"  entering'  wedi:..  that  prie.l  apart  the  lOmperor  of  the  east 
:ind  the  Kmperor  of  the  west,  and  the  yoiini,'  Republic  of  the 
\'  w  World  was  a  factor  mi  hrin-inu  to  an  end  the  ^'reat  trade 
'  .If  lictwcen  France  and  Kmrhind.  which  he-^Mn  with  Xapo- 
!'"ii"s  secret  purchase  and  then  his  hasty  saerifice  of  Louisiana. 
I'M-  nine  years  tlie  ruler  of  the  lan.i  had  striven  with  the 
Hil'T  ot  the  .s<'a,  KiiLdand  struir^'linir  to  shut  the  hiirhwavs  of 
"'■  ocean  and  Xapol.-on  the  gateways  of  the  Europr.an"  coii- 
'iMent.  First  and  last  both  had  been  bafTled  by  i!i.'  d;iiinu  and 
•iiterprisiiiLr  Yankee  ski])per  more  than  liy  anv  other  eUmient 
HI  their  problem. 

To  shut  out  the  wares  of  British  mannfaetnrer.s  and  the 
l"ii.lu.ds  of  British  colonies,  Xapoleou  had  maivhed  his  armv 
l'"ni  the  harbour  of  Lisbon  to  the  banks  of  the  Xiemen.  He 
liad  jrathered  all  the  nations  of  the  continent  beneath  his 
^'<ird  in  a  continental  union  against  his  island  foe,  and  had 
"  '  ted  a  wall  of  riiina  around  Furope. 

^  i:ven  the  bayonets  of  a  million  soldiers,  liowever,  could  not 
lo-e  the  immemorial  avenues  of  trade,  nor  could  Xapoleon's 
1;-  liroom  sweep  back  the  natural  currents  of  commerce.  The 
■VT  iK'tween  Fn-land  and  France  prostrated  the  honest  liusi- 
U'  >s  of  the  continent  and  of  the  British  Lsles  and  brou<rht  on 
an  "pidemic  of  bankruptcy,  but  the  ruined  m..rchants  w<>re 
"placed  by  100.000  smu--lers,  who  matched  their  wits  against 
an  ai'my  of  customs  officials. 


.122 


1\  'I'llI';   KooTSTKIN  OF  NAl'OLKON 


Whrii  iit  hiNt  the  I'liniMTor  foiiiid  ln'  cniiiil  not  stop  srnuj 
^'liiiL',  111'  ail(i|itr,|  a  systriii  of  lirciisini,'  it  ami  sliai'iiii,'  in  ii-. 
IH'olils  liy  taking  fii •  \uv  crnt.  of  tlir  value  of  rn-taiu  kin. Is 
of  iin|Mii-ts  ol'fnvil  u,r  saj,..  All  othci'  siini'ji,'liil  L'oods  uvr^ 
conlisrati'ij  ami  sold  at  irivat.  anrtions.  I'.ut  lir  rxcrptfd  fi-diii 
thr  am-tioii  the  I'-i'itisli  wodjlrn  and  cottons  tliat  his  ai^'mts  had 
s  i/i'ii.  Thi'Sf  Wfi'i-  |)ilrd  in  lira|)s  and  dostroycd  in  hui.v 
l'''nlir.-s  th.it  lit  uji  thr  l-:ni|div.  All  letters  written  in  l-jr.'- 
Ii>h  nr  eajitiii-ed  in  transit  hetween  the  eniitinent  and  lli.' 
i'-ritish  Isles  also  weiv  j)nrnrd,  as  many  as  lUU.UUU  heinL'  eoii- 
siLrned  to  the  tlames  on  an  appointed  day. 

Fvery  nation,  and  indeed  e\,ry  household,  felt  the  burdi  ii 
of  the  continental  system.  It  set  the  Kiujiire  at  war  with  the 
church  itself,  altliout:li  the  IN-troerad  ot'licial  well  nu-ht  haw 
blamed  a  woman  for  that  (piaiicl,  and  an  American  woman. 
f'or  lietsy  I'aterson  really  was  at  the  bottom  of  the  unliap|iy 
conllict   between  Rome  and  its  eldest  daughter. 

it  was  not  until  the  Kmperor  asked  that  Jerome  Hoiia- 
parte'.s  American  marriaLre  be  annulled  that  the  first  open 
breach  oecui'red.  The  I'cclesiastical  authoi'ities  found,  on  iii- 
vcstijration,  that  the  ceremony  had  not  been  peid'ormcd  in 
strict  conformity  with  a  deen  .■  of  the  Council  of  Trent,  but 
it  was  also  found  that  this  lattM-  deci'ee  never  had  been  pub- 
lislied  at  I'.altinuu'e  and  coiise(piently  had  no  foi'ce  in  that 
diocese.  Pope  I'ius  VII  replied  to  the  Kmperor,  therefore, 
that  the  inarria<:e  was  valid  and  tliat  be  was  jiowerless  to 
gratify  his  wish. 

It  may  easily  be  inuiLrined  with  bow  little  [)aticnce  Xajjolenn 
saw  bis  j>urpose  balked,  'riienccd'orth  his  relations  with  the 
Pope  rapidly  went  from  bad  to  worse.  At  last  he  locked  up 
Pius  VII,  a  mild,  nnaetrressive  man  who  was  sixty-seven  when 
Ids  captivity  bc/an,  cut  him  off  from  his  cardinals  and  coun- 
sellors, from  tbeolotrical  books  and  jiapers,  and  from  all  com- 
munication with  the  church.  The  captive's  isolation  was  com- 
pleted by  tlie  silence  of  the  press,  which  was  forbidden  to 
allude  to  bis  arrest  or  bis  whereabouts. 

The  Pontiff  boi'e  his  iiunnirenient  with  beeonunc:  resiirnation. 

Wlu'n.    howe\'er.    he    was    rennireil    tn    snr)-eiiili.v    ..\u>i.    flu.   j-inif 


A   Woin.l)  AT   WAR 


ut'  tlu'  Fislicniijiii,  lif  hail  the  spirit  to  lircak  it  in  twu  li,.fon' 
iiaiidiiiL'  it  to  thr  iiiipn-iiil  ot'ti.ial.  .Morcovn-.  h,.  cstalilishcd 
a  coiitiiiciital  lilockadf  of  his  owe  aLMiiist  Xapohuii.  |',\  his 
nfiisal  to  coiitinii  hishops  t'or  thr  Kmpiiv,  u\:\u\  scrs  hreamr 
va^'aiit.  and  ttic  iiiachiiicry  of  ihi'  chiiiTh  throiiL'hdiit  thr  ini- 
[■riai  (loiiiiiiioiis  was  thfowii  into  a  \v\atioiis  ronfiisinti. 
I''ii'  ivcii  tlioiiL'h   hr  was  in   prison,  h.'  still   was  the  '•Kivpcr 

nf  tllr    Keys." 

Traditionally  a'ld  instinrtivrly  .\a|io|ron  was  a  Catholic. 
For  instance,  in  the  prvscncc  of  dani,'ci'  or  upon  ti,  ■  disco\crv 
111  soin.'  iinfiortant   fact,   it    was  his  hahit   to  make  the  siuMi  oV 

'' foss;l)ut  his  imperious  will  rvtnsed  to  submit  itself  to  the 

aiifliority  of  tiie  church  and  he  persistently  derlined  to  l:o  to 
I'liiniuinoii.  When  .Marie  lionise  ,-atne  tii  i'aris.  she  ask.'d 
■''I-  aichl.ishop  if  it  u-ouid  he  proji.i'  for  her  to  ivcive  that 
M-rainent.  Tiie  prelate  excused  her  since  hrr  presence  at 
ruiuiiniiuon  ini-ht  oidy  emphasise  her  husband's  absence  and 
O'casioii  iin|)leasant  remarks. 

Neither  woman  nor  reli-ion  really  was  responsil)le  for  the 
liiitcr  stru<;,i:ie  between  tiie  Kmperor  and  the  I'ope.  Its  true 
uiiderlyinir  cau.ses  were  cotton  and  calicoes,  cotlVe  and  sumu; 
!!''.  tobacco  and  indiiro.  Kven  Napoleon's  own  brother,  the 
Kill','  of  Holland,  rebelled  a-rainst  the  blockade.  At  last, 
ulirn  L'(t,()()l)  imperial  troops  were  marching:  on  Amst.'rdam  for 
III.  [iiirpo.se  of  more  etTectually  <dosiiiir  the  ports  of  the  eoun- 
tiy.  Loui.s  flun^'  away  his  crown  and  fled  to  Bohemia.  The 
Kmperor  thereupon  annexed  Holland  to  France.  Witli 
Oldenburfr  and  l',;einen,  Hambur-  ami  the  shore  b.'yond,  the 
Kiiipire  now  .stretched  to  the  lioundary  of  Denmark. 

If  a  brotlier  was  tlie  first,  a  marshal  of  .Napoleon's  was 
•i."  second  ally  to  desert  him.  The  Kin<,'  of  Sweden  bein^' 
without  an  heir,  some  Swedes  proposed  that  .Marshal  Uerna" 
'iotte  should  be  adojttcd  as  the  successor  to  their  throne. 
Hcrnadotte  was  a  brothcr-iiidaw  of  Joseph  P.onaparte;  his 
son  Oscar  was  the  f,md-son  of  .Vapoleon.  and  tiie  Swedish  au- 
thorities innocently  supposed  that  the  selection  would  be 
liii-'hiy  pleasing,'  to  the  Kmperor. 

■ ..'    i.iv-i^o.^ai  indcea  i\ai*oiL-uii  m  a  ()reaicaiuent.      ile  iiad 


:i2t 


I\  'llli:   lnOT.'^Tf:PS  OV  \.\I'()|,K(>\ 


i\rry  r.'.isuii  to  dislnisf  tlir  lovalty  of  I'.rriuiilottr.  SiiH  if 
'"•  'niiMiii.'il  tn  Ins  il. vail. in,  the  iiiarsliiil's  uit'f,  Dcsiree 
('laf.\.  Would  L'lt  a  rr-oun  at  last.  Wlicfcrorc.  lir  said  to  the 
carididatr.  "(h).  aii.i  Id  mn-  il.stiiiirs  li.'  arr(ini|)lislii'(l." 
Till'  cN-scru't'iiiit  of  iiiariiic"^  unit  t'oitli.  tlirnd'orc.  with 
tlir  Kiiipri-oi-'s  Ijlcssinir  and  a  la,!.'.'  -.'ift  of  riioiics  lirsidcs,  to 
fniiiid  a  royal  lioiisc  wliicii  sliould  ioii-,'  outlast  that  of  the 
r'liiiapai'tcs. 

Iiiissia  liavintr  iatrly  taken  Kiniaiid  from  Sweden,  tlie  new 
I  roun  piine,.  Im.,mii  a  eaiii[)ai!.'n  to  repair  that  loss.  He 
|o-o|.osed  to  take  Xoi'way  from  the  crown  of  Dctmiark.  hut 
.\;i|ioleon  would  not  consent  to  any  attack  on  iiis  Danish  ally 
lie  siiirL'csted  instead  that  if  Sweden  joined  him  au'ainst  Russia 
ill'  Would  help  hei-  to  recover  Finland.  The  Kmperor,  liow- 
ev.T.  in  his  |)iir|>ose  to  dose  tiu'hter  the  ports  of  the  lialtic  to 
British  troods,  took  Swedish  i'oiiierania,  therehy  trivint:  mortal 
ofTence  to  the  Swedes  and  their  crown  prince. 

The  continental  system  had  now  ojierily  endtroiled  Napoleon 
with  the  I'ope.  the  Czar,  the  Swedes  ami  with  his  hrother 
Louis,  while  it  had  done  more  than  all  else  to  em!)itter  the 
various  peoi)les  of  Hiiropc  a<,'ainst  him.  Its  entire  structure, 
which  tor  years  tu'  had  been  laboriously  reariiifr,  was  rocking 
on  its  foundations  and  threatening,'  to  bury  him  and  his  throne 
beneath   its  wreckau'e. 

The  i;mpire  was  not  menaced  at  home,  !)ut  from  abroad 
The  people  within  its  wide-tlunjr  borders  dwelt  in  peace  if 
not  in  jirosperity.  They  never  ^'ave  the  Hmperor  a  moment 
of  uneasiness  while  lie  sat  on  the  throne  and  they  never  for- 
sook him  as  Ion-:  as  he  held  aloft  a  standard.  P'or  fifteen 
years  his  <rreat  realm  remained  as  tramiuil  within  as  England 
or  the  I'liited  States. 

N'or  did  he  hold  his  people  in  stih.iectioii  with  his  sword. 
Cnder  the  orders  of  the  incompetent  and  corrupt  Directory 
he  had  turiK'd  his  fruns  on  a  rebellious  {>o])ulation  at  the  steps 
of  the  Chureh  of  St.  Roeh.  in  IT'l'),  but  from  the  day  of  h\< 
own  rise  to  power  to  the  day  of  his  downfall  he  never  pointeil 
a  cannon  except  at  alien  foes.  lie  ruled  by  the  force  of  .jus- 
tii'c  and  wisdom  and  the  vanity  of  Ldory.     Victor  IIui?o  on,.' 


A    \V(»i;i,|)   A  I    W  AK 


325 


sjiiil  fliiil  III.'  U\(>  L'n-iiti'sr  thiii^rs  of  tlio  nin.'tiTi.th  •  utiiry 
were  N'ajiol.'dii  .iinl  IiImtIv.  As  Iom'T  hs  FniiicL-  had  the 
foniicr  it  whs  .oiilciit   without  tlic  lattrr. 

While  the  latiils  iiirof|ioriitci|  in  tli.'  Kiiiiiirc  n-riiaiiicd  (|iii.'t, 
.lisi'oiitctif  rose  and  .spread  aiiioiiLr  the  jieo|)ie  of  the  allied 
states,  which  XaiM.lcon  had  sidijiiL'afed  uithout  annexirii:. 
Ill  the  days  when  kinL's  and  iriand  dukes  were  takiu),'  oi'dcrs 
like  field  hands  ficmi  their  overs.rr  at  I'aris,  when  the  I'nis 
M.ui  iiiunareh  was  limit  iiitr  his  ainiy  to  the  niniher  s|ieeiti,.d 
.iiiil  disMiissiriLT  patriot  ministers,  when  the  Austrian  Ktiijteror 
uas  n'wiu'^  his  dau^'liter  in  marriage  to  the  eoii(|ueror,  hook- 
N.lh'rs  like  John  Palm,  p)(),.eherds  like  (Jneisenaii.  e'wherds 
like  Seharnhorst,  ta\.'rn  keejirrs  like  An<lreas  Ilofer,  simple 
souls  like  the  maid  of  Sarairossa  were  liftim,'  from  the  dust  the 
standards  of  their  countries. 

In  the  eourso  of  the  loiif,'  strupfrlo  Xapolmn  had  ehaiifred  his 
':'-A^r.  II(.  was  not  tiL'htiii!/  for  a  repuhlie  now  hut  for  a  crown. 
He  was  not  judlini:  down  thrones  hut  .settin>,'  them  up.  Kinirs 
■hI  iieeome  his  allies  and  the  p.'0i)le  had  fallen  away  from 
\r.\n.  He  was  Htrhtiii-,'  for  the  ;)ast,  not  for  the  future,  lie 
■■IS  looking'  hackward.  not  forward,  and  his  moral  retreat 
ixL'aii  before  liis  military  retreat. 

lie  himself  onee  computed  that  the  moral  force  in  war  is  as 
•iiiv(  to  one  in  comparison  with  the  physical.  Thus  did  lie 
Niafhematically  verify  Shakespeare's  line. 

Thrice  is  lie  iirmcd  tliat  iiatli  his  quarrel  just. 

I5y  that  measure,  Xapoleon  lost  two-thirds  of  his  stren<rth 
when  he  ceased  to  he  the  champion  of  'reedom  and  proL'ress. 
ami  hecame  an  invader  and  comiueror.  As  the  moral  force 
pa.s.sed  from  his  ranks  into  the  ranks  of  the  enemy,  he  suh- 
slitutcd  batteries  for  it,  his  infantry  havinf;  lost  its  old-time 
':;!-li.  _  His  .soldiers  had  taken  Italy  with  their  hare  hands, 
.1  \Vai,'ram  was  ilistinetly  an  artillery  success.  "The  poorer 
'•■••  troop.s,"  he  said,  "the  more  artillery  they  need." 

\'ow  he  mu.st  win  with  lead  where  oiu-e  he  won  with  liearts 
"i.d  must  hurl  cannon  balls  at  the  lines  of  the  foe  which  in 
"tiler  tniies  he  liail  jiierccd  with  ba\unets. 


■>'2V>  I.\  TIIK   FOOTSTEI'S  OF  NAPOLKox 


As  Ins  ;,nnv  lust  its  |.atri..t„.  frrvor.  his  ,.n,„.,.|v  and  ducal 
?.'....njlslos,th..ir„u,rt>alan!our.   Th..y  had  won  their  batons 
and   th..,r   ,durv    h.htin,^   for   Frann-.     Tl„,v    ^,.re   .harv  of 
ns^jH..    ,    ,.n-   huuvls   with    d...vn..ra„.    troops    u.    oa.upai.:: 
I".'t  di.l   „ot  awaken  any  national  mthnsiasn,.     I„  tli.ir  nl,. 
;'•'""  y-'xti..  .non.ov..r.  they  had  no  other  roof  for  their  heads 
iK.n  where  they  nidilly  pitched  their  tents  and  no  other  phiro 
to  |r..  than  war.      Hut   now  they  si^dled  for  tlieir  dneal  parks 
-.'•'-'a.l,e  halls  with  trains  attendant.     The  .enerous  rilal  y 
ot  yonnu  hopes  atul  a.n'.itions  had  j,Mven  wav  to  the  arrogant 
I";"l"  ""d  l).tt..r  jealousies  of  rank  and  wealih. 
_     Ih.    army,  the  aristoeraey,  the  whole   Fnipire  had  lost  the 
nsp.rtn.  tllus.ous  of  youth.     Tiiey  had  all   , one  stale  when 
th,.  Kmperor  aeeepted  the  .-hallenge  of  the  Czar  and.  like  a,  • 
n  he     /,^,...  rush..,^.  up'.n  an  ieeberg,  hurled  hiniself  against 
[lie  hussian   Fiapire. 

His  u.dependent  and  honest  eoiinsellors  were  pow.-rless  to 
arrest  lum.  In  vain  the  e<.on.»nusts  argued  that  Hussia  ':a,l 
no  ..UK  ior  i^ranee  to  take.  In  vai.i  the  finaneiers  pleaded 
tlK  t  the  tii;anees  ot   the  Fnipire  neeih.]  peae.- 

ith  the  Spanish  revolutioti  t.n.suhdued  and  all  the  peoples 
'  "  t  h,s  Fnipire  ready  to  emulate  the  Spaniards,  he  vet  held 
n  1.1.^  jourse.  I,,  hunself  ha.l  already  foretohl  his  fate  whett 
1  .■  SHUI.  I  s.ia  1  .see  the  ^Mdf  open  before  me  some  dav.  b„t  I 
sha  1  not  he  a.  e  to  stop  myself.  I  shall  climb  so  high  that 
I  shall  turn  L;iddy. 

Xo  Ion  rer  rouhi  a  warnimr  voiee  mane  itself  heard.     His 

-vasotiUK  often  was  darkly  mysti.al  atid  fatalistie.     He  spoke 

'-    IMlo     an      impulsion  '  wliieh   was  driving   Franee  and 

K     sta    nio    war.     -I    ,,.,.1    ,„v.s,.lf   impelled    toward    a   goal 

;wth   uhieh    [  am  unae.uanit.d."'  he  .said  as  if  in  a  trance. 

^\  H'u   I  shall   have  .vaehe.i  it.  when  1  shall  be  no  longer 

•■'•<lo<l  lor  ,t.  an  atom  will  si,f,iee  to  overthrow  me,  but  until 

tliat  mmnrnt,  all  elforts  will  he  powerless  a-ainst  me  " 

,,  '  *";'"'"'   ^'''■''■''  "'d'lored  1  not  to  tly  in  the  fae.-  of  men. 

""V  "",""^'-  '?■''-''""'  '■"••"'•  ""•'  ""avrn  or  he  would  sink 
'""''■;•  '  "■  '•omnuH.d  weurht  nf  tl„.ir  enmity.  His  milv  repiv 
was  to  lead   his   unrle   to  a   window  and   point   to  a  star  of 


A  V^OKLD  AT  WAR 


'l-tiny,   visihli-  only  to   his  own  oyos.     Oiu-  of  liis  ininist  'i-s 

^' '"■  '"^  '"''i'^  "'"1  ^i^'l""«l-  •'Tile  KiniHTor  is  n.ii.l.  .•oni|)lrtr!v 

ma.l.  and  will  destroy  us  all.     This  will  all  md  in  a  tiTrihlV 
'•rash  ! 

SI  ill  the  reasons  for  tlic  war  ^^■,'ri'  not  in-  anv  m.^ans  whollv 
otriilt.  Xajmlcon  had  lirm  tryinj,'  for  iirariv  a  drradr  to 
coiiMUer  the  j.ower  of  Kn-land  on  tlic  sra  hv  'rlosin..-  a-ainst 
iKT  trade  the  harbours  of  Kuro|M..  J  four  rnnain.-.l  opm  none 
would  remaui  elosed.  If  IJu.Ma  wrr  iM-ruiillcd  to  hreaU  the 
lilorkade.  no  other  nation  eoul.l  l)e  askrd  to  maintain  it  and 
It  would  ho  only  a  matter  of  .nontiis  until  tlu-  C/.nv  would  be 
able  to  torni  a  new  eoalition  a^'ainst   France. 

Two  inveterate  enemies  of  Napoleon  had  entered  th<.  coun- 
sels o  I  the  C/ar  and  were  industri(»usly  stn-n^'tbenino  his  arm 
a-auist  the  i'reneh  Kinp-Tor.  One  of  them  was  Stiun  the 
I'nissian  eabuut  minister,  whom  the  Kmpcror  had  oniVred 
!nc  Ku.ir  ot  Prussia  to  <lismiss.  The  other  was  that  Cur.siean 
rival  ol   .\ai)oleoirs  youth,  i'ozzo  di  Uortro. 

Xapelron  aiKi    I>ozzo  ha.l  left  A.jac-io  to-ethcr,  tli.'  one  to 
'■"i..|uer  Kuro])e,  tiie  other  to  wander  from  capital  to  capital 
111  Ins  bitter,   unecasin-  etforts  to   thwart   him.      For  twenty 
.^cars  the  two  Corsicans  earned  on  their  relentl.ss  vendetta 
with  a  continent  for  their  battle  ground.  ' 

I'ozzo  was  at  the  elbow  of  tlie  British  niinistrv  when  tlie 
I  eiice  of  Amiens  was  broken  and  tiie  twelve-vear  duel  l)ct^v..cn 
i-^ndand  and  France  b.-aii.  Xe.xt  he  went  to  Ru.ssia  and 
«.;'s  with  the  Czar  m  the  years  he  was  warrinir  on  Xapoleon 
uhcM  Xapoleon  demanded  his  dismi.ssal  at  Tilsit,  he  passed 
over  to  Austria,  where  he  foment.'d  the  war  of  ISO!)  *  K],.,.. 
iiiir  from  Vienna  witli  the  Austrian  court  as  the  Emi>eror  ])oiv 
'lown  upon  that  eapital,  iie  es<'aped  him  onlv  bv  trampiie' 
j'ver  the  lialkan  moun^iins  to  Turkey.  From  Constantinople 
iie  tound  his  way  to  England  once  more,  and  finally  to 
etrourad.  Thenceforth  he  dogged  the  downward  steps  of 
1"^  t.llow-Corsican  to  Waterloo,  to  St.  Helena  and  to  the 
^.Tavc. 

A  ..'reat  war  soiiiewhei'e  was  inevitable  to  estaiilisli  or  ov<.r- 
thiow  the  eontiiieutal  system   wliicii  rested  on   bayonets  and 


:i2s 


IX  TIIK   FOOTSTKl'S  OF  NAI'OLFOX 


wiiicii  liad  I'lnlifO!  .•(!  the  woi'ld.  For  1S12  prdNcd  to  be  a  ivd 
vcar  ill  lii.sf(ii-.\-.  Tlic  llaincs  of  the  l-'rciir|i  lu-voiutioii,  wliirh 
were  kiiidlrd  at  the  liastillr  in  ITSil.  Iiad  Ik'cii  fspmidin;,'  for 
t\\enty-tlnv,.  yca.-s.  At  last  tliey  liad  leaped  the  wide  .rtlaii- 
tic,  and  two  woi'ids  were  wrappetl  in  an  almost  universal 
eoiiflauration. 

The  Aiiierieans  and  the  British  toolv  up  arms,  and  tlie  In- 
dian witli  his  tomahawk  joined  in  the  strife.  Already  Ili- 
(hdtro  iiad  vnwix  from  Ids  villaire  chureh  belfry  tiie  toesiii  of 
revolution  that  was  lieard  from  the  Ore^'oii'  to  Terra  del 
Fuejro,  and  Spanish  Ameriea,  takinj;  advantage  of  the  war  in 
Spain,  lie^Mii  its  teii-yrar  stru-j,de  for  indepeiidenee.  The 
S[)aniar(is  and  their  Kny:lish  allies  under  Welliiiirton.  after 
four  years  of  battlin<r  on  the  Peninsula,  eontinued  to  bailie 
the  best  marshals  of  the  Empire.  Thus  while  an  imperial 
army  of  ;}()0.()(I(1  men  was  eni;af,'ed  in  a  futile  effort  to  subdue 
one  exti-emity  of  Kurope.  Napoleon  was  leadinji  (idO.UU'.'  more 
to  eoniiuer  the  opposite  extremity  of  the  eontinent. 


criAPTF.u  xxxrx 

0\  TO   Moscow 


1X12      A(iK    4'J-4:i 

WITH  the  Empress  seated  beside  him  and  his  tnimpet- 
n-s  before  liim,  with  his  court  and  his  servants  fol- 
U)uint,'  liim  in  a  lon^  j)roeession  of  coaches,  Xapo- 
l'"i]  ictt  Pans  as  if  f„r  a  fete  on  a  licautiful  Mav  morniii^r  in 
til"  year  1>^]2.  Crossing'  France  and  the  Kliine,  he  cnttTed 
<i'  n.iany.  wiicrc  tlic  princes  of  Ids  alli.'d  states  luunblv  stood 
1  y  th..  roadside  and  waited  to  make  their  ob.'isance  as  tlic  Kin.' 
ut  the  Knijrs  of  the  earth  passeti  by.  Tiie  Kin-  of  Saxonv 
'■atne  out  to  greet  tin-  master  from  wliom  he  liad  received  Ids 
royal  title  and  escort  liim  to  Dresden,  where  the  Em| -  ror  of 
Austria,  the  King:  of  Prussia,  the  Kin-  of  Bavaria  and  the  rest 
"t  the  satraps  of  the  Empire  gathered  to  pav  court  to  the 
sovereign  of  them  all. 

As  Xapoleon  liad  gathered  the  Czar  and  his  other  allies  at 
KrtiU't  m  ISOS  to  overawe  Austria,  he  assembled  the  Emperor 
J't  Austria  and  his  allies  in  this  second  congress  of  kings  to 
l«'t  tlie  VzHV  see  that  the  monarehs  of  Euro]).-  were  enllst.-d 
tor  tlh'  war  as  well  as  their  contingents  of  soldiers  in  the  -reat 
army  whicl,  was  already  moving  toward  +1-  Russian  frontier 
H"  wMs  leaning  eontidently  on  the  hope  that  a  demonstration 
"1  t^rce  would  bring  Alexander  to  terms  and  that  the  Russian 
sovereiur,,  ,vould  not  wait  for  him  to  invade  the  soil  of  his 
rHiilin.  "Alexander  and  I,"  he  said  in  his  review  of  the 
caiiipaigTi.  "were  in  tli.'  position  of  two  boast(>rs  who.  witliout 
^Msnng  to  hght.  were  endeavourin-  to  fright.-n  each  other." 

\\lien  the  ("zar  disappoint.'d  lum  by  not  showing  anv  shm 
J'l  flinching,  no  alternative  remained  to  him  but  to  d'isndss 
"s  satellites  and  proceed  to  Poland  and  East  Prussia  to  place 
lii'nselt  at  the  head  of  his  army.     "The  bottle  is  oi)en  "  he 


;j;}0 


IX  TllK   KouTSTKi's  oy  XAI'olJiO.X 


said,  ";iimI  til,,  win,.  ,,1,1,,  |„,  ,|,.„„],/-  n,,,^.  ,,j,^,.,.  j^^  ^j|,^,^^ 
^^rr,■  u>  Ur.  ,H)  loivtaM,.  uan„.,i  liin.  as  I,,.  l,.ft  tli..  iM-autiful 
'■]h  I'.v  tl!,.  Klh,..  nito  ulii,-!,,  alh.r  .vwi.  nmntlis.  li,.  .sh.„il,l 
•sil.'nily  sl,.al  hark  at  ni-ht  in  a  slri-li,  his  army  lost,  ami  with 
lint   i.\i.n  a  ti-,i,ijn.|.  I,,,.   (,is  rsi'oi't 

Tlh'    l,ay.m,.ts    ..f    nimv    ,1,;,„    GOO.OOO    men,    drawn    from 
fuviity    natunis.   i^an    lik,-  a   h,.,!^',.   rrom   the   fc't   of  the  Car 
patlnan   M.Hintaiiis  to  tlir  shon^s  of  th,.  I'.altie.      (omiii-  u'nui 
the   dmM■^    hy    that    n,)rth..rn    s,'a.    from    the   pohh.rs   of   the 
Actlirrlands.    fr„ni    il.,.    plains   of    Lomhardv.    and    from   the 
slions   ol    Calahria,    tln^y    lur,,,,.,!    th,.   -n.at,.st    arniv    Hurope 
«;v<'r   had   s,.,.n.     All   th,.   ra.vs  of  th-  Caueasian   worl.l   u.-re 
in  its  ranks,  an,l  all   th,.  ton.^u-s  ol   Christendom  uvr,.  l„.ard 
in   Its  ramps.     I'.., 'haps   no  m„r,.  than  a   thin!   wer..   Fnmeh 
( crtauily  m..re  than  a   fourth   w,.rr  (;,.rmai:s  fn.m  the  Klii,,,; 
stat,.s.    n„.,v  su-vr  :!(i,(i()0  Austrians,  un.h.r  I'rin,-,.  S,.hwar/,.n- 
bri--,   aii,l   th,.  J'russians   nundM.tvd   2(i,()(M).     j'l'in,.,.   Ku-'eiie 
\u-rroy  of  Italy.  hr,ni,-ht  S(i,,„,(,   Kalians.      I'rinr,.  l',ud;i"t..w^ 
sk.  had  (Kl.OlH)  i'„h.s.  and  there  wre  ,.oliorts  of  Swis.s,  Dutri, 
Croatians.  Spaniards  and   Portu^nn'se. 

■N'o  lirs  of  blood  or  hir-ua-,'  „r  nationality,  no  sentiment  of 
patriotism  unitrd  thnu.  No  eonsrious  purpos..  aiumated 
tlirm.  ]li,.y  ha, I  n„t  ,.v..n  heen  told  whom  tlo'v  wer,.  to  hate 
an.  why  tli,.y  w,.r..  to  slay.  An,l  h.ss  than  t.Mi"  in  a  hundr,.,! 
c'onh  r..ad  a  hn,.  of  print.  Tli.'y  only  km-w  tliev  had  h,.,.,, 
call..,  out  to  fiuht  for  Xapoh.on.  His  sword  iiad  drawn  th.-m 
tOf,',.tli,'r  an,l  it  ahm,.  iiiiist   hohl  thi^m  toir,iher. 

The  main  ho.ly  of  th,.  army  mov,.,|  owr  th,.  ui.h'  l,'v,.l  fi,-l,ls 
by  the  riv,.r  Pr,.-,,],  „p„„  ,vlii,.h  th,.  travell,.r  to  IN.tro-ra.f 
ni  a  later  ,lay  l,„,ks  from  th,.  ,.ar  win,hw  of  Ids  Berlin  train 
when  he  approarh,.s  th,.  portaN  of  tlm  .strantre  land  of  Museow. 
Althouirh  It  is  only  an  ima-inary  lin,..  no  otiwr  frontier  the 
\vorhl  roiuMl  so  stirs  th,.  ima-i.dn-s.  In  a  time  of  peaee  one 
look..,!  ,n  vain  for  vl.ihl,.  si-ns  of  it.  .Xo  ^M•eat  militarv 
lortilieations  w,.,.,.  to  h,.  s,.,.n  frownin-  aeross  tlie  elialk  line 
that  demarks  th..  Kmpi,.,.  of  the  Ivaisers  from  the  Empire  of 
tlie  (  zars.  ' 

Althnudi  tl„.  (),.ri,l,.nt   visibly  thinned  out  and  taper.'d  otT 


ox  TO  .MOSCOW 


331 


i!,rniii:li  file  closiiiLr  lioiii's  of  tlic  ti'i])  fi-oiii  Kruiitrsljorir,  TiisttT- 

i.  IIL',  IJlimliillllrll  ;:i;.|  I]  V(  It  kll  li  lini.  tlir  last  towns  ill  (i.T- 
iiiiiii.v.  Wfvv  as  iTsoliit.'l>-  (.'cnii;!!!!.-  as  any  jilar,.  Iirtw.vn  tlu; 
Ii'liinr  and  the  Xiciiini.  ( Irfinaii  larrs  and  (icrnian  nioiistarlu's, 
<i-iin;ni  uai)s  and  (Jcfnian  lircwri'ics  still  iioldly  ass.  rtrd  their 
iKitioiiiility.  IJut  111.'  (irfriian  station  niastri'  at  Kydtknliia-n 
niiu'  tile  waniin.,'-  l)c||,  and  the  train  liad  liardly  moiv  than 
I'lillcd  out  of  that  (icnnan  station  than  a  little  brook  was 
i^'svil — and  all  thintrs  cliaiiu'i'd  in  a  i  winkliiii,'. 
Thiil  little  hrook  is  the  moat  iietween  (Jerniany  and  Russia, 
hctw.rn  the  Tenlon  and  the  .Muscovite,  l)et\veen  the  west  and 
till'  cast.  While  the  train  was  crossinir  the  lirook,  a  liirlitnint? 
cliaiiirc  of  scene  took  place  tliat  would  do  ci^edit  to  the  niech- 
miiImh  of  the  tlieatrical  sta?o.  In  the  brief  course  of  a  jour- 
ii-y  of  oidy  a  mile  between  the  German  frontier  station,  at 
Eydtkuhnen,  and  the  Russian  frontier  station  at  Wirballen, 
one  civilisjition  vanished  and  another  rcjilaci'd  it. 

Towaril  the  Russian  frontier  .Xapoleon's  Ici^ions  moved  in 
a  frunf  of  4^)1)  miles.  Thus  widely  spread  out,  the  oncoming 
linst  of  twenty  nations  bewildered  the  Czar  and  his  fienerals. 
There  were  L'.'jd.uoo  armed  serfs  drawn  up  to  defend  the 
Hdiiticr  l)ut  the  Russian  conunanders  (hired  not  concentrate 
tii.u-  forces  since  the  point  of  Xapoleon's  invasion  was  un- 
kiKiwn.  The  handsome  Czar  liimself  luul  come  from  I'etro- 
'^Viu\  to  an  outpost  of  iiis  emj^ire  and  mad."  his  head(|uarters 
ill  the  town  of  Vilna.  Then'  he  was  wailinj.'  and  watchin.tr 
^^ll(•n  the  French  Emperor  swept  down  from  the  Halt  '.  The 
plumes  of  Kins  -Murat  waved  at  the  head  of  a  ma-riufieent 
IhiiIv  of  cavalry:  another  army  marched  luidcr  Prince  Euwone 
an.]  a  third  under  the  command  of  Kin<,'  Jerome  of  \Vest- 
!'li;!lia. 

^  X.ipolcon's  first  purpose  was  to  push  baek  the  boundary 
iinc  of  Russia,  which  had  been  stealthily  movinfr  westward 
oyer  prostrate  Poland.  Bii-  he  failed,  and  at  his  downfall 
K^^MU  crept  still  farther  fiii'ward.  <ratherin<;  in  most  of  the 
territory  of  the  Crand  Duehy  of  Warsaw.  The  railway  pas- 
scuu'er  tlierefor<'  rides  fifty  miles  into  the  Empire,  as  it  now 
IS.  before    he   comes   to   the   frontier   that    Xapoleon   crossed, 


'M2  I\  TIIK   FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLEON 


wli.'ii   h,.    found   the   lioiiiidary   ia  tlu-  middle  of  the  Xiniiea 
at   Kovno. 

A  littlr  w,iy  out  of  Kovno,  there  is  a  steep,  round  hill 
Hie  townspropl,.  still  rail  it  file  llill  of  Xapolron.  sine.'  from 
Its  crown  he  look,.,!  across  the  I'iwr  (.n..  luornin-  in  th,'  fo'irth 
we,.|<  of  .Jnn...  Isli'.  1-,.  |,;„l  dis.'ard,.,!  the  too  uvll  known 
thiv.-c,)rnriv,|  I, hick  hat  an, I  ureen  coat,  and  had  <lis>:ui,s,.,l 
iiuiisclf  m  the  rap  and  rh.ak  ,)f  a  I'olish  soldi.-r  of  his  Juanl 
Stan.lin-  there  at  the  top.  with  his  hundnMis  ,)f  thousands  of 
soldici's  swarmin-  tli-  f.)rrst  behind  him  and  with  l^issia  !v. 
111!,'  only  ov,  )•  hr\,,nd  the  narrow  stream,  he  hummed  his  war 
son-  while  he  spie,!  out  the  hest  place  for  throwin-  his 
bridiies. 

The  i^lssians  have  a  sayinsr.  "The  urates  of  Russia  are  wide 
to  those  who  ,-nt,.r.  hut  narrow  to  tli,)sc  who  uo  out  "  That 
Mould  he  a  littin-  inscription  for  fh.'  pedcstalof  a  monument 
which  stands  ni  the  sMuaiv  l,..fore  th,"  Hot.-l  de  ViHe  at  Kovno. 
For  the  Hill  of  .\a|u)|,.on  is  not  the  onlv  s,)uvcidr  of  its  im- 
mortal hut  uninvited  ^r„,.sr  which  the  town  cherishes.  On 
that  shaft  in  the  s^iuaiv,  which  was  set  up  by  the  Czar  Alex- 
aniler,  this  Lirim  tale  is  carved  : 


HISSIA, 

Surprised  in  H]_'  by  au  Ariny  of  700,000 

M.^n, 

Only  70,000  h'cpas>e(l  Uvr  Frontier. 


The  monuim.nta]  stone  was  yet  un(|uarrie<i  and  the  Czar 
was  at  N'ilna,  sixty  mih's  away,  wlien  at  midni-lit  three  pon- 
toons hem^'  comph'ted,  tin-  men  of  twentv  nations  iicaii  to 
pour  out  (.f  th,'  foH'st  and  tioxx  in  torrents  upon  the  undc 
temle.1  Kussian  shore.  That  hank  ,d'  the  Xicm.m  at  Kovi:o, 
thendor..  well  may  l)e  calle,l  the  hi-h-water  mark  of  the  nd 
tid,"  of  the  French  Kevolmion.  [f  was  ther(>  that  thr.  mighty 
force  whieh  took  its  rise  when  th,'  French  j)eople  luirst'the 
ohi  Hmirhon  dam,  broke  an.l  spent  its(df  on  the  sandv  wastes. 


()\  'lo  .Moscow 


333 


li.'     Ru.ssi;iii    coiiiiriiiiKl.'rs,    as     Xiijiolooii     intciiMnl     tl 


slidiild,  had  (liviilcd  tlitir 
tlo\viii<r  iipiiri  tliiiii  Iroiii  c\ 
was  iiiipossihlf    for   tliciii   t 


\ry 


I'liiy   \ 

\'i 

•y   ,1 

lo 

Ilia 

licii  .lii'V  saw  liis  iiiiiltit 


itlliHS 


irri-tion. 


■y 


liiis  si'iiai'atrd.   it 


a    stand.      Wliilc   tlir   tu^ 


liiissiaii  ariiiii's,  tlicnd'ur.'.  fell  hack  in  an  ctVort  to  irft  t 


jii't'scnt   a  solid   front.  .\ 


Ml  in  an  cfVort  t( 


OLTiM  her 
apdh'on   iiiiivi'd   forward   hrtumi 


II 


■p  thciii  ajiart  and  ih-strov  thrni  sim 


was  disappointed  at  the  outs.'t   of  the  rainpaiLrii,  wlicn, 


after  iiiakiiiir  |. reparations  to  tiL'ht  for  a  foothold  on  the  I 


Nit'iiu'ii,  I 


led  to  a  desohitc  si 


le  was  pei..iitted   to  eross  lllllllol( 


)anl\s 
aiici  was 


ly   with  the   (iuard.   1 


nre.     Dashini,'  oil"  to  \'iina  the  next 


i«'    inarehed    foi-  three  da 


\s 


tin 


outrti 


tiiiihlc  ti'uipest  of  rain  and  sleet  and 

ir]it   by  roaring,'  and   flasliini,'  thuiKlerhoIts.  tin 

posts  everywhere  vanishin-:  like  deer  into  the  dejiths  of  tl 


.viiid,  nnchalleiiireil  ex- 


Ixussian  ont- 


forests.     Already  t 


he  eliinate,  with  its  su 


funis,  was  eolleetin.,'  its  toll,  and  lii.Odi)  1 
fnizeti  to  death  in  June ! 


le 


lideii  and  tierce  varia- 


lorses  lUK 


1    pel 


islied 


As  N'apoh 


d    Vih 


apoh'on  neared  \  ilna  not  a  bayonet  remained  to  tle- 
ind  it.  Siirjirise  and  anj^'er  clouded  the  Kiiiperor's  brow 
wlicii  he  entered  the  jrate  of  that  capital  of  Lithnania. 

The  N'apoleon  of  Rivoli,  of  K^ypt,  of  Marengo,  of  Austerjit/i, 
would  have  left  the  id-andoiied  town  of  Vilna.  and  raced  after 
the  retreatin<x  foe.  Alas,  the  Napoleon  who  sat  ilown  there  for 
sev,  nteeii  days  was  no  longer  the  ea«,'Ie  that  once  flew  over 
mountaius  and  deserts.  At  Aiisterlitz  he  bad  foretold  the 
Hiaii.ire:  "I  shall  be  good  for  only  si.\  years  more  of  war." 
lliose  si.x  years  and  more  bad  now  rolled  over  his  eare-biir- 
'i'li'd  head.  They  bad  left  in  his  face  "two  creases,  wliicli 
'M'lided  from  th.'  base  of  tlio  nose  to  the  brow,"  and  soft 
iii'liil^^'iiees  had  turned  bis  muscles  of  stool  to  fat,  inclining 
liiiii  to  the  couch  rather  than  the  saddle. 

The  swift    Xf 


v'apob 


as 


the  sports  of  the  ring  or  the  di 


fashion   of  warfare   was  as  atbleti 


it.v-two  years  weighed  upon  him  as  beavilv  a 


iimond.  ami  the  Kmiieror 


s  upon  a  puL'i! 


1st   or   a   hall-player.     So   the    warrior,    famou.sed    for    tight, 
tarried  at   Vilna  almost  as  lontr  as  it  took  hiiu  to  finishliis 


M 


irengo,  Tim,  Austerlit/  or  Jena  eampa 


igns. 


;{;{4 


I\  TIIK  KOOTSTKI'S  OF  X.M'oLHox 


\   Inl..  l,,.|ayoMtlH.  flourui.h  inslH.a.l.los..  tnsu,h,,u,,,s 

"      .1    nv.      \\,...k  att.r  u.vk.  ,|,..  nu.rshals  of  Fn.nr.  ^an.^., 
"■';'"""""'"'  w,l.|..,.„..ss  uitlu.ut  r.nn>i„j:down  th.  fo...  L\ 

Vn:;l      .'''•'''•     '':•"■'•'■•"'"' <'-"l-rsuash..,lauav, 

;;        ;i-.       y    th,.   t   o„san,ls   on    ..V,.,.,    ...arH..     AI,va,lv,l,e 
(.>\al  >   u,.,..  I,..,,,-  .l.sMiouMtr,!.     0,1  tl„.  otlirr  l,a„(l,  tlu'  C.s- 

ii<i(I   the  tastes  and  diircstioa  of  the  <'oat 

TlH.  invading  soldiers  soon  were  on  ^i.ort^  rations,  and  passed 
'   a   i.ipi.i   dese,.„t   troni   wine  and   lirandv   to  beer    then  to 
-stupetvin.,    l.-utaHsin.   native    intoxicant,    v^  ka 
"udd  •  swamp   uater.     Fora.in.  i„  a  land  ,^rul,hed  hv  til 
'■    ''atinfr  Rnss.ans,  was  mis..ral.l.v  poor.     The  houses  a  mile 
'    t    ve^  .nostly  uTetehed  dens  more  fit  for  bears  than  hu- 
u        "";  ^r'"'f/"''-^  ^""'<1  ^vell  starve  on  wiu.t  saf- 
est    eo       '""'n     "'"^f  ■    "''"^  '^''"'  '"'■'^  -''"'■•■•^  ^•'■"■"  tin' 
;>"^st   s..rls.      Ihe  stran.^.rs  could  uot  .swallow  the  native 
K.d      home   er,,,a,n,.rs   happenin,^   upon   a    hu-e   quantilv 
t     lie   ^ery   aen„.   ol    Russian    delieaey,   were   jrreasinj.  tlei: 
^uots  wi  h  It  when  an  offieer.  a  Parisian  gourmet,  reseued  tl,^- 
caviare  troiii  such  base  use. 

''■Ii-  'Ireary,  dead  level  monotony  of  Hus.sia,  with  its  .s.niali  I 
villap.s  Its  urd<en,pt  fields  and  melaneholy  forests  of  tir  aid.  • 
m.d  wdlow.  oppresses  the  spirit  of  a  traveller,  who  pas,ses  it 
1"  >vview  trom  Ins  ear  window  at  the  rate  of  thirtv  miles  an 
M.ur  It  utt,-rly  overwhelm..,!  many  sensitive  natures  in  the 
■rand  Army  as  they  marched  and  counter-marched  under 
the  blazinrr  sun  or  throuf.di  wild  hlizzards 

Tin;  men  dared  not  lay  down  their  arms  fo-  a  minute,  step 
out  ot  the  ranks  or  uo  anywhere  exeept  in  strone-  bands/for 


ox   TO   .MOSCOW 


335 


!"•   lin'kiii'_'    ill    tlic 
ni'sc,  iiinl  the  (iiT- 

I'laillr    ;i     \Vrll-(|r|il|(Ml 

Not  :i  W'w  forlorn  lioys  Ifaiicd 


•!;■    ilrraiird    Cossacks    MTiiii'd    alwiiys    to 

.'!hihii_\    shallows.     'I'hf    Krmcli   criisnl  to 

:i:.ilis    rrascd     to    silitT.       I  lollli'sicklii-ss     ' 

HI. I  uid.ly  juvvalrni  ,lis..i,s.-.      .>,„  ;,   ,..u   lorioni  i.ovs  icaiic.l 

'II.  ir  lira.is  on  their  inuskrts  ami  chos.'  to  look  in  tlir  inii//I.s 

i.ifli-r  tiian  (.|idiirL'  tlio  ani^'iiislicd  Ionf.'inL:s  for  thrir  own  fair 

l.lllils. 

Jii  liw  wirks  the  (Jrand  Army  made  onlv  2:)ii  mihs.  That 
aiivaiHv,  althout,'h  unoppo.scd  hy  anv  cnrmv  in  arms,  had  cost 
It  nearly  a  third  of  its  strcnu-tii.  One  of  the  (ierman  divisions 
had  lost  a  full  half  of  its  men.  of  the  ;{t;i».()(»ii  i,,  the  eolinnns 
that  had  crossed  the  Xiemen  at  Kovno,  onlv  LV.ii.odo  remained 
flimi:  out  alonj:  a  front  of  l.")(»  miles. 

K'T  lifteen  days  th..  Kmperor  tarried  at  tlie  eitv  of  Vitoh.sk 
H-  tore  down  houses  aliout  his  head.|uarters  in  tlie  town  to 
L'lvr  liim  an  open  s|.a.v  on  which  to  review  his  troops,  and 
'i"  appealed  to  the  imperial  lihrarian  at  Paris  for  some 
•■iifniisin-  books"  as  he  ha.I  "moments  of  leisure  not  easv  to 
"II  li'Tc.  After  losinjr  that  precious  fortni-ht  and  more  of 
th.  >liort  summer,  he  left  the  ..jty  hy  the  Duna  and  er.>.s.sed 
"v.r  the  Dneiper.  the  -reat  river  of  Mus.-ovv.  down  whicli 
<hliii  and  Hunk,  with  the  fierce  multitud(>s  of  the  north  had 
.ioii-ncyed  to  the   lilaek   Sea   and  descen.led    upon   Constan- 

tllKijMe. 

Onward  the  Grand  Army  toiled  out  of  Lithuania  into  the 
fal  Ru.ssia,  into  "White  Russia,"  until  it  stood  before  the 
inany  towered  brick  wall  of  sacred  Smolensk,  whose  white 
■'•iMcs  j:Ieam  in  the  .sun  on  the  hei^dits  above  the  Dneiper 
Wii.n  .Napoleon  learned  that  the  Russian  armi.-s  were  tocrether 
^'■i.  nn.ted  for  t'^o  defence  of  the  cfty,  he  clapped  his  han.ls 
an.i  rejoiced,  "At  la.st  I  have  them." 

A-ain,  however,  he  lost  a  day  before  elosine  in  upon  the 
Hiisiv..  foe.  and  it  was  noon  of  the  following  dav  when  his 
''iif|'nes  opened  fire.  All  afternoon  the  walls  of  the  eitv 
l^ithstoo.l  a  peltin-  hail  of  lead,  thou..:h  tl.e  \ux,den  houses  Ih"- 
'"'"  It  repeatedly  eau-ht  fire.  At  the  late  .setting  of  the 
iinrthern  s,.„    Smolensk  still  defied  its  assailants 


File  fires  within  the  wnll*  ennt;.ii>.,ri  +. 


4l,., 


;!:!(i 


I.N  Till-;   I'dOTSTKI'S  OF  NAI'Ol.KoX 


niL'ht.     Tli.'v  ciisf  ;i  darv  up„ii  Xapolron  s  f; as  }:,■  sjit  1),.. 

t''>'«'  thr  .I.M.r  „f  his  tnit.  -a/in-  at  tli,.  iMirnin-  t,.uri.  Wlim 
t  !'■  sun  n.sr  altrr  a  hrirf  Aii-iist  rii-lit.  its  lirst  r;  \  s  disHos,.,! 
til.'  hiitl,.,-,.,!  walls  witliniit  a  .l.tm,]..,-  ,nni,ntr,l  "upon  tli-n, 
aii(l   tlir  city   wra|.[,..,|   i,,  silmr..  and   in   tlatnrs. 

Tli-_  '\uiM-vy    had    .  sraind    a-am,    and    tlir    inlialiitiints   l,a,| 

M''d  iitt.'f  thr  soMi.Ts.      Insfrad  of  drstrovinL'  tlir  ,.n..,nv  ainl 

|-aptiinn._'  a    rirj,   ritv.   .\a,H,|,.nn.  at    the  c.st   nf    1 1' (Kid' mm 

"."'  '-""llMcvd  an.,tl,rr  drsulafi..n  as  use-loss  as  tlio   uil.ls  of 

I'llliuania. 

II'-  was   now   n,,,rly  4()()  inil.-s  {-mm  tlir   froiiticr  an.l  still 

''"'"""    " '■'•'-'^''   I'attl..  that    hr   had   cm trd    to   ,|rliv,r 

as  soon  as  he  mtcrrd  the  dominions  (,f  the  C/ar  As  hr  hid 
marrhcd  drrp,.,-  and  dcprr  into  tli.-  vast  Russian  wastrs,  and 
arthcr  and  tarthn-  into  th..  short  Russian  suniin.T.  hr  had 
lonNrd  upun  S,u,,h.nsk  as  the  ^Mal  ,d'  his  raiiipai^'n  Mut  its 
wandiousrs  w..,v  hunicd  or  empty,  and  the  invad.T  had  to 
Invouar  on   the  ashes  of  the  city.       There   Wer.'   no  supi.lies  for 

f  H'  ..M.i  and  the  animals.     And  a  liun^M-y  armv  .-annot  stand 
•"^'I'l   1"   'III'   lU'esene.'  of  starvation. 

il.Mir  after  hour  tlu-  Kmperor  faced  the  lianl  elioico  pn-- 
s|'nted  to  h.m.  murmurine'  as  he  pace.l  his  headipiartors  and 
<il';'«';|l  with  himself.  Shouhl  he  stop  or  turn  hark  or  -o 
•'"  •  '  '"■  I"'"l'l.iii  frally  had  passed  beyond  his  own  d.-cision 
n  supreme  emer-enri..s  tho  uill  of  an  armv  alwavs  ovorruU-s 
^'"'  "'"  "'  'f^  '■onimainlcr.  When  the  soldiers  have  had 
'■'1011. 1,  of  li,htin^^  the  hattle  is  en.led,  n-anlless  of  tho  wishes 
ot  the  ^'eneral.  When  they  are  starvin._^  th.'v  can  he  .sue 
ccsstully   marched   only  in   the  .lircetio,,  of  food 

With  nothin-  hut  starvation  an.l  disease  hehin.l  liini  an,I 
th.'  rums  oi  a  hurrmd  an.l  des.'rfd  .ity  ahout  him.  .Vapoh-on 
passed  out  of  the  ^rate  of  Smolensk  in  the  mi.ldle  of  a  ni"lif 
lilt.'  m  Autru.st  ami.  on  the  heels  of  th..  .'Ver-retn-atintr  Hiis- 
sians,  took  th,'  road  to  .Moscow.  M.'anwhil,'  th.'  (Var  was 
v.nvni^-  t.)  Ins  iJrili.sh  military  advis.-r.  Sir  Knhert  Wil , 
•    I   woul.l  sooner  let  niy  heai'd  -row  to  mv  waist  and  live 


IH.tators  m  Siberia  than  p,.rn,it  any  negotiation  with  .\ap..l.'o 
while  an  aini.d  Fn'u.diman  remains  on  the  .soil  of  Russia." 


nil 

II 


0\  TM   .M()S(  ()\v 


:v.il 


-■nl,-i„„»  l,„nl,,  c,f  III,.  „,.„        ,  ,       •  ""  "  "■'""  ""■■ 

luii^Ls.      .\()|    (11(1   Aa  lolcoii  sit     IS  wliil,.     \...,l,  ..       ♦     \ 
iit^.   i.Kui.i.uvrin.'  his   fonv     lil  '' ""    ■^'''''  "-^  "t  Ausfr- 

'".    ''-^'Hp.      H,.  ros,.  In.iii  fun,,  to  tiiii..  to  ,vst   l,is  t.-l  • 

"NMi    tlic    iiiissians,    with    ii,.ii'K-    joMon      e   .,    ■  '"  ^i->-. 

f"ll''n  about  their  r..t        II     ,     ■         '    ^^   "^  ^'"'"'   '•""ini,|..s 

^•ow^-a.ri:''^oa':;,:r;;;r;;;-;^;,/ti:;''ir" 


of 


VU'torv   in    fl,,.    I, 


iv  chanted  their  Te  Deums  and  hoa.sted 
oi  zueii  iues,  whost  en  loss  of  al- 


:{:{8 


IN'  TIIK   K()(»rSTi;i'S  OF  \.\l'n|j:iiN- 


must  tliiil.\  iliniisaiiil  iiuidr  up  an  awful  tdtal  tiiat  eavf  tho 
''■'I'l''  ''"■  iiiili,i|i|.y  (listiiirtiou  of  iiciui:  tlic  l)I()()(lifst  of  the 
iiiiii'tiTtitli  iiiii  iiry. 

^^''i''i.  'Ii'-  N>\t  iimrninir,  fii<'  Ivussians  r.'siniKMl  tlicir 
''''''"'  'I'"!  Ill''  <itatic|  Army  its  advamc  ffoin  I'.cir.Hiitio,  th" 
t.imisliril  iiiNadrrs  wm-  sinirnd  foiward  li\  tlnir  Ioipj  im.'  I'nr 
till'  lal  lai-ilirs  and  the  faMrd  ridhs  of  .Moscow.  It  was  the 
on.'  hopr  left  tlirm  ami  "a  .Moscou  !  a  .Moscou!"  ua>  the  last 
rriiiaiiuiii,'   <ry   to  stir  tli.'ir    wastril    I'anks. 

.Nffcssity  had  lin-otiir  tlic  motlur  of  Napoleon's  stfati'<rv 
He  only  olii'>fd  the  instincts  of  his  famished  soldiers  in  v.ii 
till-ill-'  hcyoiid  Siiioicri^k.  As  he  promised  them  in  his  luil 
letins.  '•Voii  -^liall  se.>  .Moscow,"  he  promised  himself,  ••|'.an 

waits   for   m.    at    the  .jates  of    Moscow;"    hut    I'rii Kii-cin 

eaiiie  aua.\-  from  his  stepfather  sij,'hin^',  ".Moscow  will  be  uur 
rum 

The  hottle  was  open  and  the  wine  had  to  lie  drunk! 


CIlAI'TKIi  XL 
Tlli-:  TORCH  THAT  F1I>KI)  THK  WolMJ) 


iHi: 


ACC    i:t 


!l'"  "'"^'  '•'•""^v^"<i  -r  ti„.  .s,.v,.M  hills  .,r,n,.  wussi.M 

.  ,.  '''•".';■•.  <"'tl.;.f   Il.llnrtli..  I-.LMini.  or  H,l|^^SalM- 

-'■^,  t  ,,.  pWp:n,,,s  w..,v  uont  to  Ih,vv  in  aw..  aMi  rruss  tlu.m- 
-   '"s    Mnl-    t\u-y   salut,.,!    •■11,, |y    .Moth,.,-    Mosrou"  "     Tli.-rv 

'".'•.!'"'  '/'•'"■   "'•'■^'•'"■■^  '•nM.I,.„„„..|   to  a   SilMTian   ...xil,.   u..,v' 

,'i^'l"t'-.i  to  pans.,  a.i.i   IVast  th.ir  s..,l  ...ws  Info.v  takin-  ,„. 

tl).>.r  ^hatns   tor  tl,.   Ion,.  nuu:U   to  th.   .rave  of  the  ifvinlf 

Vulu'arl.v  the  hei.M.t   is  .a!I..,l  Sparrow  Hill,  nn,l  its  eaf.'.s 
'-;''••■  t'->-'.sortot   th,.  t,,,   lMhl„.rs  of  th.  city.     Close  hv 

pun  V  afternoon  u.  Sep,..,nh,.r.  IslJ.  Lookin,^  aeross  the 
-1';  hohls  of  the  eonvnt  in  the  riv.r  h,.,i.  he  ,,,.,,1  ,„„„ 
<■  ivory  white  walls  and  .aily  painte-l  roofs,  npo?.  the  fores 

domes  of  ^^ohl  an.l  .M.vn  and  bine  that  fonu  the  unique  and 
li  ..'  panora.na  of  .Moseou-.     'Tt  is  time!  it  is  tinle!-  h 
u^hed  as    US  eyes  reste.l  on  the  city  of  manv  and  wonderful 
-lours,  where  the  snnbearns  turned   to  shiuuneri,,.  .old 

os.f  wi  •    '"'""  ''^  "''^"^•'•'•  ^""  '-''^  pointed  Russian 
osses.  uh.eh  spranu'  trom  their  ereseents  a.  if  to  svnibolise 
tl'-  tnunipl,  of  the  Christian  over  the  Mosle.n. 

■''•  had   paid  a  terrible  price  for  th^it  <;,fl.t   P„-.  >   o 
11,11    i,,,t  ti,       •*  |int    lor  mar  siuMit   troin  Sparrow 

"■'■  '"'t  then  It  was  one  that  never  before  had  been  be!  ehl  bv 
.  ....iueror  out  of  the  west.      Did  not  the  t.-ars  freeze  on  th'e 
}outhlul  cheeks  of  Charles  XII  of  Sued.-,  l.....-,..  u..\.    ..    , 

339 


340 


IN  THE  FOOTSTI:P.<  oF  XAI'oLEOX 


niod   tlir  joy  of   looking   upon   tlinnc  rlustprod  towers  of  the 
Kremlin  ? 

With  -Moscow  nt  his  foot,  all  tho  capitals  of  the  Europoan 
oc.iitiiii'iit  ii;i(l  kiiclr  fiiKi  kissed  th.'  sword  of  Xiipoloon.  Mos- 
oow  hail  cost  liiiii  d'ar,  lint  it  was  tlio  rarest  in  his  rollcction. 
P.el'oi','  jiossessinir  Imnself  of  liis  fair  captive,  of  tins  Oriental 
beauty  tliat  lie  had  spent  I'lHI.ODii  li\es  to  win.  he  wished  to 
fTi'atify  his  draHiatic  sense  and  thrill  the  woi'ld  hy  niakiiii:  an 
iniposini:  spectach'  of  her  ahjeet  surreiuli-r  and  of  his  own 
niai^naniniity. 

While  he  waited  for  his  vanjrnard  to  arranire  a  littiiif^  cere- 
monial of  the  .lelivery  of  the  keys.  •''..  city  of  the  Czars  lay 
as  if  in  a  laneiiorous  afternoon  sluinl)er  on  the  banks  of  the 
.Aloskva.  Xo  niurinur  rose  from  hehind  her  walls.  Not  a 
wreath  of  smoke  tloated  aliosc  her  ehiniiieys. 

The  report  erei)t  u|)  the  hill  that  .Moscow  was  deserted  and 
that  even  its  keys  wrw  t:,),,e.  The  star*''!i^'  rumour  sank  to  a 
whisper  as  it  reached  the  outer  circle  of  tiie  group  about 
Xajxileon.  When,  at  last,  some  one  dared  repeat  it  to  him,  he 
refused  to  believe  it  and  despatehed  members  of  his  staff  into 
the  nuite  city  to  seareh  out  the  members  of  the  nobility  in 
their   hiiiinu-  places. 

In  their  Spanisli  pride,  the  people  of  [Madrid  had  hid  from 
him  but  they  had  not  tied  their  homes  and  forsaken  their 
capital.  A  city  of  IIOO.OOO  depopulated?  The  sacred  .-ity  ,,f 
the  em|)ire  abandoiu'd?  All  those  irreat  palaces  deserted.' 
Tho  altars  of  ihos  >  :?00  churches  untended?  Cost  impos- 
sible! Eveji  when  convinc  (1  of  the  truth,  he  persisted  in  his 
desire  for  a  ceremony.  Declinini,'  to  enter  the  city  until  the 
next  day.  he  passed  the  ni<.'lit  in  the  odorous  squalor  of  an 
abandoned  house  by  one  of  the  gates. 

Moscow  was.  indeed,  almost  a  .solitude.  As  the  Russiau 
arniy.  under  (Jeiieral  Ku;usof,  retreated  from  Borodino  the 
morinng  after  the  frightful  iiattle.  Moscow  had  clamoured  in 
vain  for  military  protection.  When  Kutusof  calleil  a  couiiril 
of  war.  it  voted  to  stand  or  fall  for  the  salvation  of  the  saered 
town.  But  he  ignored  the  (h-cision  ano.  with  tears  in  his 
eyes,    marched    thriui-h    .Moscow,    leaving   it   (hd'iTiceless. 


TIIK  TOKCir  THAT  FIRKD  TIIK  WORLD 


;i4l 


I  ,.  nha  u  ants  ros.,  an.I  .tow.]..!  tlu-  .^ates  in  a  fli,rht  on 
•'"■  '"■'■';:  "^  "'."  '>'tr.'af,n,.  anny.  1,,  the  instifrtiv.  n.pu.r- 
;'='"-;•;  -'  ''  VnuuUj.  ,,atrin,is,n,  th.y  scorn..,!  to  stav  and 
l-r.-ath.'jm  atmosph.-n.  j.ollut..l   by  the  presence  of  an'  alien 

I-.'vin-    thrh-    altars    an,l    tuniin-    their    backs    on    their 
homes  and  the.r  churches,   hcarin^^  aloft   their  revere,!   ikons 
an.    sin.Mnj,.  plan.tive  son^s,  the  p,.ople  pa.se,!  out  of  th.«  ei,v 
...  lonj.  proeessions.     The  ,nvat   nol)l,.s  forsook  their  si-l.^ulid 
palaces  and  spacous  parks  an,i  ,lrov,.  auav  in  th,.ir  hnlliant 
tour  an,!  six-horse  e,,uipaf,',.s.   th,.ir  thonsan,ls  of  serfs   run- 
......  alter  tlH.n.     TJ.e  n,.h   nu^vhants  l,.ft  their  war..houses 

-i  shops  filled  with  un.M,ar,!ed  uvalth.  and  joined  in  the 
;;;;;•„  ^lu^  .vst  ot  tl,,.  population  mshed  into  the  coun- 
t.>.  ^Mth  no  thou^'ht  ot  Avh.T,.  th,.y  shouhl  fin,l  foo.l  or  shelter 

I  .<^  gov..rnor  unlock,.!  th,-  ..ites  of  the  prisons  an.l  tl...  ar- 
-'.als,  an,  ro lui?  barrels  of  vodka  out  of  th,-  liquor  wan- 
i-'.ses  he  left  them  stan,lino:  open  in  the  str,...ts.    IIavi„,^  thus 

i  :  .'  '\,  'T"'-  '"'  '^  '"'  '•"'■'^'  •^•^"'-  =>"'J  -^^^'^^  away  in 
til"  rear  of  the  tutritive  popula,^-. 

'-'V""  ^vhile  the  people  were  still  pourin-  out  of  th.^  farther 

ii  r  f  ,^'"T"''''     '"  *"''"''  "^  ''"■  ^^»'«"''on<'fi  oitv  rose  to  the 
-  of  the  hunprry.  d.rty,  sa,lly  reduoed  arnn   of  twentv  na- 
lons.     \ever  suspeetn.sr  the  ,l,.solation  that  lav  before  iheni 

0  sol,hers  ra,s..d  the  ...xultant  ,.ry.  ••Aros,;ow:  Moscow^ 
Mos,.ow  atlastr-  To  then,  the  nan.  n.ant  foo.l  an.ldlk 
^  "  rest,  am!  they  w-r,.  as  unpati,>nt  an,!  eair.r  as  a  wearv 
t..ue   or,  who,  al,..r  a   Ion-,  ,ourn..y.  ,.on..s  in  si.ht  of  honl.^ 

1  illT      ■';;'•'   "'^o  »'-  -ity.  but   only  to  find  in 
'I"   \ul.i...n..ss  of  hous..s  an.l  str..,nsa  few  thousan,!  p,.onle 

■;;;;-^  thc,a  tl.  brutish  Jail  binls  who  luHl  rusl..i  ,.ut^ 

..  «at.vs  of  the.r  prisons.      Kx.vpt   for  th,.,-  an,l  the  h,.lp- 
-  Mck  and  wounded  in  t^he  hospitals,  the  ^r.-at  city  was  a 

0  ated  as  for  a  h„]y  .lay.     Xot  a  wo.nan  was  s  ,..  on  tl. 

iMvements  lapping  up  the  intoxu-ants  that  rkued  i„  the  -rut- 


I 

T 


:i42  LN  THE  FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLEON 

t.'i-  while  f  ■  more  sober  were  wildly  nimiiii-  al.out  amouK 
the  lu-  mansions,  stealiu-  everything  thev  eouhl  earrv  awav 
As  tijr  hun-ry  soldiers  tluvw  th.-mseives  upon  the  eitv  they 
beat  otUhe  nativ  lootrrs,  and  .Moscow  became  the  undisputed 
sroil   ol   the   aii-n   invader. 

While  the  French  sentries,  patrollinfj  the  wall  of  the  Krein- 
Jiu  that  starry  jii^dit.  l(,<,k.Ml  out  over  the  ghostly  city  and 
watched  a  .-oniet  whieh  -hired  like  a  portent  in  the  sky  they 
saw  hre  alter  lire  ilamin-  up  above  the  roofs  in  many  sec- 
tions  ot  the  town.  A  foe  more  terrible  than  the  Cossack  Mas 
rising  to  ehallen-e  the  invaders,  who  were  rou'..d  from  their 
sleep  to  beat  him  back  an.i  save  from  destruetiou  the  only 
prize  they  had  won  since  crossint:  the  Xiemen. 

When  Xapoh.on  entered  the  pate  the  ne.x't  aiornin-  and 
wont  to  the  Kremlin,  his  captive  city  had  been  snatched  from 
him  by  the  ban.Icd  .Icmns  ..f  lire  and  li,,uor.  hunger  and 
plunder.  The  b.n.utiful  domes  and  towers  he  liad  admired 
"•""1  II"'  iHli  were  wrapj.ed  one  after  another  in  the  withe-- 
mg  embrace,  the  church  roofs  of  sheet  iron  and  lead  falling 
with  loud  craslies.  Palaces  were  swept  away  in  a  seorduug 
brea  h  the  sculptures  that  adorned  their  fa<-ades  crashing 
amid  the  rums  The  pitiless  flames  wm.ld  not 'spare  the  hos- 
pitals, where  thousands,  unable  to  drag  them.selves  into  the 
streets,  perished  in  their  wards.  Above  the  roarin.^  surges 
ot  fire,  there  rang  out  the  groans  of  the  dving.  the  shrieks  of 
the  plundered,  the  crack  of  the  soldiers'  musketrv,  the  howl- 
ing of  the  dogs  chained  to  the  gates  of  the  houses 

On  the  third  day.  Napoleon's  offieprs  repeatedly  came  to 
warn  him  that  the  lire  was  roaring  at  the  Kn^mlin  g^tes  and  to 
beg  him  to  retreat  before  it.  Hut  not  until  it  was  difficult  for 
him  to  breathe  and  Perthier  had  come  to  report  that  he  ]nd 
been  alniost  swept  from  the  battle.nents  in  a  red  whirlwind, 
dill  the  Kmperor  consent  to  take  tlidit. 

The  hill  of  the  Krendin  rose  like  an  island  in  a  tossing  sea 
of  hre.  and  Napoleon  had  great  difliculty  in  lindin-  an  avenue 

of  escap,^     Tn    .t, t   after  street    !,e   was   turne.i    back  bv  a 

i.'iil    ol    flying    eudx.rs.    and    the    hoofs    of    the    horses    were 
'"■n,e.i   by  t!;..   blistering  p;,vin,r  s,ones.      With   a  cloak  over 


th 


cy 


lisputcd 


Kr 


era- 
city  and 
sky,  th 
laiiy  see- 
sack  was 


ov 


tlit'ir 
only 


ing  and 
led  from 
ger  and 
adniirt'd 
witiier- 
l  falling 
'orcliint; 
?rasliing 
the  hos- 
iiito  the 
:  surges 
rieks  of 
le  howl- 


ime  to 


an 


dto 

t  for 

hid 


IWIIK 


ng  sea 

ivenue 


hy  a 
were 


k  over 


THK  TOIU'II  THAT  FIKi:!)  TIIK   WOKLl)        ;!4;; 


his  I'ac.'  to  protect  liis  eyes  and  iiioutli  i'roiii  the  stillin;.'  liivatli 
I'f  tlu'  flames,  lie  was  waiideriiiijr  lic.vildcrrd  in  the  hliiidii,L,' 

atiiiospher",    wlicn    sonic    soldiers,    r trnisini:    llie    imperial 

piirty,  .srorted  it  to  ilic  I'ctrofsky  i)alacc,  the  sulmrhan  villa 
of  the  C/.ars.  Kven  there,  at  a  distane<'  of  two  mih^s,  the  Em- 
jHTor  could  read  in  the  li<rlit  of  the  hlazint,'  city. 

As  he  looked  down  upon  the  inferno  he  exclaimed,  "What  a 
people!  They  are  the  Scythians,  indeed  I"  Xaturally  he  as- 
smiied  that  the  Russians  had  lircd  their  capital  and  doomed  it 
to  ashes  rather  than  let  it  he  his  i)rey.  Whether  .Moscw 
really  was  innuolated  on  the  j.yre  of  patriotism,  the  world 
never  will  sinvly  know.  When  it  was  -een  that  its  destruc- 
tion had  driven  out  the  inva<icrs  and  saved  the  cm,, ire.  tlu; 
hiiiehrained  uovernor  who  at  first  had  hlauied  the  French  for 
hiii'iiin-  it,  noisily  avowed  that  he  himself  had  ordered  it 
hunit.  And  other  Ru.ssians,  flattered  liy  the  thought  of  such 
an  heroic  sacrifice,  ad  .pted  his  story. 

Vet  it  is  {)o.ssii)le  that  .Aloscow  was  not  destroved  l,v 
ofilicial  desi<ni  any  more  than  it  was  ahandoned  hy  official  de- 
sign. For  the  -Moscow  that  looked  so  fair  wli.'ii  Napoleon  saw 
It  from  Sparrow  Hill  was  oidy  a  painti'd  show  and  hut  a  huge 
tinder  box.  It  was  easy  and  natural  enouudi  for  its  wooden 
Ileuses  to  take  fire  when  left  to  flu>  mercy  of  frenzied  looters, 
I'lowling  over  tliem  with  torches  in  liand,  and  tlie  e(iuinoxiai 
winds  were  present  to  complete  tlie  havoc. 

The  hurricane  of  fire  swept  the  town  for  two  davs  more 
until  a  rain  quenched  the  flames.  When  Xapoleon  returned 
to  the  Kremlin,  which  had  sutTered  no  great  damaire,  tiie  .'ity 
>viis  a  sorry  sight.  The  biir  warehouses,  the  shops  and  hazars, 
tlic  grand  palaces  of  the  nobility  were  gone.  Xo  less  than 
fi.Vir)  of  the  !»()()0  huildin-.'s  ha.l  i)een  destroyed,  and  most  of 
.Moscow  was  but  a  heap  of  ruhbish. 

Xapoleon  was  marooned  on  an  ash  pile  more  than  2000 
'"ih'S  from  Paris.  His  marauding  soldiers  found  an  over- 
ahmulance  of  wines  and  brandies.  They  arrayed  them- 
st'lves  in  costly  furs  and  rare  eastern  shawls  and  decked 
ou:  ino  women  in  their  "love  escort"  with  rich  gowns 
!unl  blazing  jewels.     Neither  the  altars  nor  thf-  n-nv,'^ v^rri-,^ 


:!ll 


IX  TIIK   FOOTSTI'I'S  (»F  N'AI'OLKON 


spjinil  l)y  the  pillau'iTs.  I!ut  tln'v  '|iii''kly  fxlum^trd  the 
littli'  food  tliat  Ilif  tic.  iii'^'  rcsiilcnts  had  left  lirliind.  and 
hi'cad  lu-caiur  mow  pwr'utws  tliai^  tin'  iirn'ioiis  lurtals. 

.Mcaiiwliilc,  liriiuiiiiicd  l)y  tin'  ti'i-pii 'f  blow  thai  had  I'allfii 
iipdii  him.  \a|iih'(iii  >at  day  at'lri'  da\'  iti  the  '.duoiii  ol'  tlie 
(ii'itiital  palaic  at  tin-  Kmidiii.  I>ad  news  caini'  to  him  from 
Spain,  wiirtr  his  hrothcr,  .Jusrph,  was  ludiii:  driven  I'l'dtn  liis 
i-apitai.  (ira\c  warnin'.'s  wen-  snundi'd  o!'  an  uiK'asy  spirit  in 
I'l'Ussia  and  Austi'ia.  Soinctiim's  as  lie  wi'tstli/d  alone  with 
his  hhick  probK'Hi.  Iiours  passed  without  a  word  from  the  Em- 
ju'ror's  lips. 

Like  a  do^'  mortally  injured,  as  Count  Tolstoi  says,  the 
tirand  Army  sat  down  amid  the  ruins  of  .Moscow  to  liek  its 
wounds.  Daily  the  sun  blazed  redder  in  the  didl  autuiniuil 
sky.  Scpteiiiliei-  waned.  Tlie  ni,L'!its  leiiLrthened  and  the  loiif? 
Russian  winter  drew  on.  Five  precious  summer  weeks  had 
passeil  when  the  Russian  army,  resuming,'  active  operations, 
aroused  Xaiioleon  and  compelled  him  ti.>  face  the  inevitahh'. 
lie  must  reti'eat  from  that  desert  of  cinde>'s,  before  tlie  long 
I'oad  home  wrs  barricaded  witL  Russian  bayonets  or  burieU 
beneath    Russian  snows. 

Oetober  was  far  advanced  when  he  turned  baek  upon  hig 
trail  of  disaster.  If  a  Russian  summer  had  slain  half  his 
army  in  the  advance,  how  many  could  survive  a  retreat  in  a 
Russian  winter? 

As  if  to  tire  a  pai'tiuLr  shot  at  the  Czai  the  retrcatiufr  Km- 
peror  ordered  his  rear  <ruard  to  mine  and  blow  up  the  Krem- 
lin. The  earth  shivered  from  the  mi^dity  explosion  and  mmli 
damajre  was  wrought,  but  that  strauLre  eity  within  a  city  sur- 
vived the  shock  and  stands  unto  this  day  to  tell  the  story  of 
how  its  walls  baffled  lire  and  sword  in  1812.  Those  walls 
wind  for  more  than  a  mile  about  the  liill  that  rises  from  the 
banks  of  the  Moskva  in  the  midst  of  a  city  with  a  {iresoiit 
population  of  a  nullion  and  a  quarter.  For  the  Kremlin  is  as 
mueli  in  the  centre  of  Moscow  as  Westminster  is  in  London, 
the  Palais  Royal  in  Paris,  the  Quirinal  in  Rome,  the  Sehloss  in 
Berlin,  the  White  House  in  Washington,  the  City  Ilall  in  New 

Vni'K-  nr  tlie   ( 'iiininnn    iti    Hristnn 


TTIE  TORCH  THAT  FIRED  TIIR  WORLD       .•Ur, 


Nut  tliat  the  most  mrlancholy  of  Xapol.'on's  aboilcs  This  side 
nf  >i.  ilt'lciia  really  is  to  l)e  oomparcd  witli  any  of  thoso  places. 
ill.  Kntulin  is  peciiliai-  to  itself.  At  once  a  fortress  and  a 
sliriiie,  it  is  rather  the  .Muscovite  Alliaiiilira,  where  in  other 
times  a  miuiei'oiis  court  dwelt  and  frolicked  and  worsliipped. 
It  is  the  \illai,'e  which  expanded  into  an  empire.  It  is  the 
natal  den  of  the  Russian  hear,  whence  he  stole  forth  to  [)laut 
i.i>  pau    u|).  II  a  full  seventh  of  the  earth's  sui'faco. 

lichimi  those  walls,  the  dukes  of  .Moscow  sl.delded  themselves 
i'lmii  tile  arrows  of  the  (lolden  Horde;  there  J  van  the  Terrible 
>■■''<{  his  savai,'e  court;  there  a  sixteen-year-old  hoy  founded 
tl.c  dynasty  of  the  Romanolfs:  there  was  h(jrii  the  eiulepti-, 
hairless  I'eter  the  (lr"at. 

In  tiis  envy  <d"  his  hewhiskered  subjects,  i'eter  laid  a  fine 
of  lUU  roubles  on  L'\vry  beard  passing'  throu^di  the  Redeemer 
<i.it.'  and  cruelly  tilled  the  Krendin  with  tiniirui-iiuible  hor- 
!"!s.  When  at  last  lie  ^:rew  weary  of  cuttiiiLr  perverse  heads 
ni'f  stubborn  necks,  he  abandoned  .Moscow  entirely  to  set  n|)  his 
throne  and  erect  a  new  capital  on  the  wild  and  dreary  marshes 
of  the  Neva. 

The  Kremlin  ceased  thenceforth  to  be  the  seat  of  imperial 
!^  "  I-,  altiioii^h  it  still  p-etended  to  be  a  military  stroni,'- 
!''M  Vihen  .Napoleon  ordend  its  destruction.  Its  old  walls, 
\'ii  thomrh  they  are  from  thirty  to  seventy  feet  lii<^h  and 
:rnia  fourteen  to  twenty  feet  thick,  are  now  only  a  harmless 
nlic  of  a  byi,'one  age  of  warfare,  and  water  no  longer  flows  in 
tile  moat,  where  in  the  green  shade  the  children  play  and 
litvcrs  sigh. 

Notwithstanding  the  Czars  have  reigned  at  Petrograd  for 
■:"'r>'  than  200  years,  each  in  turn  has  faithfully  come 
ta -k  to  be  atiointed  and  crowned  at  the  ancient  altar  of  the 
'■.tth.'dral  in  the  Kremlin.  Thither  .Nicholas  II  came  a  pilgrim 
in  the  midsummer  of  19] 4.  to  invoke  the  favour  of  Heaven 
tcr  Hus.sian  arms  in  the  War  of  the  Nations. 

'fhe  city  that  Peter  built  on  the  Neva  is  only  a  thing  of 
hr'.'k  and  stone  and  mortar.  Moscow  remains  to  the  Rus- 
-inis  the  holy  city  and  the  Kremlin  hill  is  its  Mt.  ^loriah,  the 
"a;i  Uiarv  of  the  holv  of  liolipss 


;{4G 


IN  Till':   FOOTSTIOI'S  OF  NAI'OLKOX 


Wliilr  till'  Kmnliii  ccliliratrs  the  ^'l-irics  of  llic  Kinpirc  of 
the  Cziifs,  it  ciiiiiiiicmoralcs  as  well  the  defeat  of  Najjoleoii, 
wliosi'  eiii|iire.  like  a  tri'i  at  sliip  on  a  roelc,  was  heaten  lo  iiieccs 
ai.'airist  its  walls,  it  is  indeed  a  colossal  iiiomiiiient  of  a  iiidst 
eolossal  failure.  .\t  its  \eiy  portal  the  visitor  is  eoMfronted 
with  a  reuiiiider  of  the  extraordinary  disaster  of  1S12.  It  is 
the  1,'rey  stoiie  ^'ate  ol'  St.  .Nicholas.  wlieiH  Poles  and  Tartars 
and  .Mus'-ovites  have  fouf,'ht  and  hied  these  hundreds  '^•f  years. 

AI)o\c  the  ;,Mte  rises  a  hell  tower,  with  its  miraculous  iniatre 
or  ikon  of  St.  .Nicholas.  Althoutrh  the  French  laid  a  mine 
under  the  Liate  and  hiew  its  towei'  to  fi-atrments,  as  a  memorial 
tablet  records,  the  ikon  "hy  the  wonderful  power  of  (iod" 
was  uidiai'Mied  and  even  tlie  pane  of  udass  over  it  and  the  lan- 
tern and  candle  hclonL'inL;-  to  it  were  not  lu'oken.  Wherefore, 
the  *alilet  triumphantly  inquires,  "Who  is  j^rreater  than  (Iod, 
our  God,  the  marvellous  God  who  doest  miracles  by  lii« 
saints?"' 

Another  of  the  si.xteon  pates  that  piei  c  the  Kremlin  wall 
is  e\cn  more  venerated  and  with  a  still  ii.ore  miraculous  ikon, 
whii  !i  centuries  ai-'o  confounded  and  dispersed  the  besie}.niig 
Tai'tars.  Through  this  irate  the  Czars  idl  <xr>  to  their  corona- 
tions. .Vo  one,  not  even  the  most  huri-yiug  drosky  <lrivt'r, 
jiasses  in  or  out  of  it  with  covered  liead.  And  anyl)ody  in 
the  ^'enuflectinir  tiiron^'  that  daily  pours  through  it  could  tell 
the  straiiL'er  that  Napoleon  jiaid  dear  for  refusing  to  uncover 
at  that   Gate  of  the   Redeemer! 

P^nteriiig  the  gate,  the  unwarned  stranger  is  startled  hy  a 
mob  of  towers  and  domes  and  a  riot  of  colour  and  architee- 
turo.  Possibly  he  may  be  surprised  to  see  before  him  not  one 
gn-at  palare  or  castle,  but  a  ciiy  of  p.'i'.,.,'es  and  gardens,  of 
churches,  shrines,  and  convents,  of  nuiseums,  courts  and  bar- 
racks, of  streets  and  open  squares. 

For  the  Krendin  really  is  a  city  in  itself.  It  has  no  less 
than  ten  churches  and  as  many  as  three  dozen  big  bells,  in- 
cluding the  Xapolcon  bell,  so  called  because  it  was  cast  from 
metal  dug  out  of  the  fire  ruins. 

Each  of  the  Kremlin  churches  has  its  owu  bitter  memory 

of   tile    NaiHileoriic    inxiwinii      liiit    tlip    )\ift.>reuf    of    nil    liirks   in 


TIIK  TOKMIl   THAT   FIRKD  TIIi:   WoRLD       :U7 


rlif  (lu.sk  (if  tlir  .s()c(iiil  cliurih  of  the  C/.iirs.  Tlicrt'  on  the 
v.rv  iiltiir  bcfort'  wliicli  tlic  IxoiiuinofTs  knvA  to  rciTivc  the  oil 
of  coiisrri'jitioii,  ttic  alit'U  soldiers  siiiuittrd  and  ■xaiiililrd  with 
cards,  wliilf  tliry  stal)lcd  tlhir  Ihii-ms  in  its  nave  and  cliapcis, 
I'Vou  as  tlii'v  liad  di'si'rratrd  the  Lrrrat  niosqiic  of  d  Ali/ai'  at 
Ciiiro.  Tilt'  cli'ircli,  however,  has  its  triuniph  to  otVset  its 
sliiiiiie,  for  its  present  eluuideliers  were  east  from  !)(»()  pounds 
Ml' stolen  silver  that  the  Cossacks  recaptured  fi'oni  the  retreat- 
ing' (ii'and  Ar'niy. 

Oil  everything'  that  -xlistened  in  the  eliurehes  of  the  Krem- 
: :!i  the  soldiers  laid  their  pillau'liiLT  hands.  Xot  only  were 
tlie  ^'old  and  silver  ikons  and  vessels  dumped  into  tiie  melting' 
pot,  but  even  the  gold  leaf  was  stripjied  from  the  images  and 
(Iworations. 

The  most  consfiieuous  of  the  towers,  that  of  Ivan  or  Jolm, 
recalls  the  day  when  the  Emperor  stood  before  it  jiersonally 
siiiierinteiiding  the  removal  of  its  enormous  cross.  And  for 
A li.it  purpose?  To  send  it  to  I'aris  and  place  it  above  the 
•  Iniiie  of  the  Hotel  d,>s  Invalides.  Hut  the  immen.se  thing 
I'lmhled  and  crashed,  nearly  killing  its  impious  assailants, 
"illy  by  that  lucky  mi.schance  was  Napoleon  sf)are(l  the  igno- 
iiiiiiy  of  tindiier  his  irrave  beneath  a  stolen  cross. 

The  jialace  of  Xai)o!<on,  or  that  part  of  it  which  he  occupicil, 
in  the  Kremlin,  was  torn  down  long  ago.  In  place  of  it,  the 
Czars  have  the  most  palatial  of  all  the  {)alaces  in  Europe,  with 
L'nat  halls  of  gli.steiiing  marble  and  gleaming  gold,  hung  in 
i"l  ;nid  !)lue,  with  noble  columns  of  rarest  stones  and  thou- 
sands upon  thousands  of  electric  lights  glowing  in  its  chande- 
liers. 

The  faithful  in  thei  •  pilgrimage  to  the  Kremlin  meet  with 
many  mementoes  of  its  invasion  to  tempt  them  away  from 
the  Christian  pn,  'iple  of  forgiveness  The  Russian,  how- 
ever, seems  to  be  innocent  of  any  petty  spite  toward  Na- 
poleon's memory.  Try  to  imagine  the  Americans  setting  up 
ill  their  capital  a  statue  of  the  I^ritish  general  who  burned 
Washington  in  1814!  Yet  almost  the  tirst  object  that  rises  to 
tlif  view  of  the  visitor  to  the  treasury  or  the  museum  of  the 


,i;.. 


_  i?        X  I-    . 


XJA14|J^.  1  \ji        yji.        LllV- 


348 


IN'   TIIK   FOOTSTKI'S  <)F   NAI'oLKoX 


Frriicli.      His  ^rift  <>f  ;i   ,cr\  i if  S("'vrr'<,  uliirh  he  iiiadi'  to  tlu' 

('/;ir  in  tlir  diiys  of  llnii-  fi'atiTni/iiiL',  is  also  cluTislicil  there 
amiitii,'  tlir  iiricious  Ufipsakt's  of  llic  nation.  Apitariiitly 
Alrxandfr  did  not  st-nd  his  presents  bufk  when  tlicy  <iuar- 
reUrd: 

Na|iolc()n"s  slfij.'li  is  tlicn'.  hronu'lit  in  liy  the  Cossacks,  wlio 
captiind  it,  and  eM'ii  his  lied,  whi^h  was  picked  ill)  ""  ^l'"' 
l)anks  of  the   llerisiua   after   his  tliitht   over  tlie  river,  stands 

heside    the    lied    of    I'eteT    the    <  i  feat    ailll    tile    elloflllOllS    hootsof 

tliat  uiiint  mouareh.  A  larL'e  portrait  of  liiin  wiiieli  tiie  Cos- 
saeks  lu-ouL'ht  \y,\rk  ftMiii  the  Waterhto  eaiiipaiL'n  eomiilctes 
tlie  storv  of  hfiw  iJiisvia  asenL'ed  hi  rs.'lf  hy  ehasini^'  the  in- 
vader  elear  aeross  tln'  I'lin'opeau  eontineut.  A  still  mofe  cnii- 
clusive  exhihit  is  formed  hy  a  fow  of  ^7!)  cannon  eaplureil 
from  the  i-et  reatiiiLT  army  of  twenty  nations,  and  wliiiji 
stretches  the  full  lenLth  of  the  ai'senal  wall  in  tiu'  Kremlin. 

'File  uri'iitest  moinimeiit  of  all  the  memorials  of  Napolenn's 
repulse  from  Moscow,  however,  stands  just  outsidi'  the  Ki'cm- 
liti  wall.  It  is  the  mau'iiilicent  Church  of  <  »ur  Saviour,  wlii^'li 
Alexander  intended  to  erect  on  Sjiarrow  Hill,  where  it  would 
have  iiio'ked  the  memoi'y  of  Napole<in's  tleetinir  moment  of 
triuiupli  there.  Aftei'  an  immense  amount  of  m(jney  had  hecii 
spent  in  a  vain  effort  to  lind  a  firm  foundation  on  the  liill, 
the  phm  was  chanired  and  the  church  was  set  up  in  front  of 
the  vers-  <rate  throu;,''!!  whidi  the  invadinu'  Kmperor  passed  into 
the  Kremlin. 

Tiiere.  on  the  hank  of  the  Moskva,  rises  tliis  <rraiide>t  and 
costliest  of  all  tlie  war  monuments  in  tlie  world.  There,  hy 
the  Kremlin  irate,  the  nation  sends  up  in  purest  white  niarlile 
its  prayer  of  thanksi:ivin<_',  its  Te  Deum,  while  within  its  walls 
there  rises  at  hiu'li  mass  a  hurst  of  sonir  that  ravishes  the  soul. 
From  a  lofl\'  L'allery.  the  vi-itor  looks  (h)wn  upon  t!ie  lacy 
inarhlo  of  the  snowy  altar,  with  its  priests  in  their  rieli  vest- 
ments of  frold.  and  ui)on  a  multituih'  nf  wor.shippors,  some- 
times as  many  as  ir).(KMi  standing  on  a  tloor  of  jasper. 

The  iteautiful  baritone  of  the  priestly  ehant  mounts  hi'-'lu-r 
and  hi'jher  tmtil  it  seems  like  the  creseendo  of  a  great  pii'e 

....  o  .  '.:...      ....     !  !-.-.i-..      ..      1.-.-.-..-.     ;-.-.   ■.    'i      tiV 

Oman.        iiieii    a    larriOiiS   rnr.ir    liiarcMc:,   ;;;;■,•,;;    ;;    ;;;:;;,■    ::;.■.■-;•..    •■,• 


TIIK  T()i;(  I!  THAT  iTi;i:i)  Tiir;  \V()i;i,i)      .ii!) 


Til'  snldici's,  who  \\n\r  [ni^hrd  thr  propi,'  l);i,-k.  jiiiii  t;ikrs  its 
>',iihI  ill  till'  peiitro  of  th,"  ciiur.li.  l-'r'iuii  tiic  liiiihirrds  of 
liii-ipiiis  of  iIkkc  w.ll  (Ifilird  clioristiTs,  iiiiinToiiip;mic(|  liy  any 
iiistruiiiciiis.  I  he  iliuiiiiiastcr  draws  a  Wdiidir-rui  v.iriftv  of 
tciifs,  hit-di  ;iiid  Inw,  ;i  '.'lorious  symplion^v  tlial  is  rnoiv  lik.'  tlic 
iiiiisicof  a  ffivat  orclicstra  thni  ,,\'  ihc  voices  of  youiii,'  pcaNants 
wli()<"  piif.'tits  w.Tc  liofii   into  iiussiaii  scrfdoiii. 

This  rliiircli  is  ilh'  most  iin|iosiiiir,  the  most  interest iri'.',  the 
mast  siiriiiticaiit  of  all  the  souvenirs  cd'  \aiK)|,.on 's  .-aptnre 
and  aliaiidninnent  (d'  Moscow.  Th.  I'e  is  soiiiethioL'  tliorouLddy 
ilun'actci'istie  of  Knssia,  sninethiriL'  peenliar  to  the  i;n>si;iii 
nature,  soinethinir  \ei-_\-  expressive  of  a  nation  wiiosc  paii-iot- 
isin  and  religion  are  oiu'  and  the  same  tliintr  in  tins  i'elii:ious 
(■(htire  l)uilt  to  eehhrate  the  deliverance  of  .Moscow  from  a 
military   invasion. 

Otiier  Christian  people  rear  temples  and  eoliimns  and  ardies 
ill  iniitatiou  of  the  classic  paiians.  They  are  either  monuments 
(if  rcvi-nge  or  of  self  <,'lnrilicati.m.  i;\,n  the  medals  that 
Alexander  I  stnicU  and  irave  all  his  soldiers  who  pursned  Xa- 
pelceii  from  the  .Moskva  to  tlie  Seine,  ,iid  not  tdorify  arms, 
I'lil  <ind.  On  the  iiU'dals  the  eye  in  tile  triaii-le  was  eiiL'i'aved 
as  a  symbol  of  (Jod's  provid'iice.  and  they  were  inscrihed 
"N'et  unto  us.  not  unto  ns.  hut  unto  Thy  name!" 

It  was  in  that  spirit  of  L'ratefuliiess  to  the  Divine  I'ower 
that  K'ussia  chose  to  make  her  Lrreat  war  memorial  a  votive 
"If'riii^'.  It  was  in  that  spirit  that  she  dedicated  to  "Christ, 
"ur  Saviour."  the  nohle  church  whose  dome,  the  loftiest  and 
iiiost  L'oldrii  of  the  domes  of  a  new  .Moscow  risen  from  the 
ashes,  woul.l  l)e  the  tirst  to  draw  his  paze  coidd  Napoleon  re- 
tr-at  from  th.'  r.'alms  of  shade  to  revisit  the  ^.'linipses  of  the 
luni.n  .ind  walk  again  ou  Sparrow  Hill. 


ClIAiTKK  XLL 
TIIK  OKKAT  TRAfiKDV 

1813-1(113      AUE  43 

H.WIXd  snti  ill  lii^t   tdat   III-  iiiU'^t  ";iliaii(li)ii  that  pile 
(if  nililiisli,"   Na|iiilfiiii  manlii'il   Ins  aniiy  out  (if  the 
still  MiKilNiML'  luins  ul  .MoscdW  on  an  Ortuher  iiiuiiiiiig 
iti  I"'!:.'  and  Ihi^mii  Ins  loiiil  rt't M'at  fidiii  liiissia. 

Tlif  rctrratini,'  mass  had  liai'dly  rrdwdrd  past  tli.  'rates 
of  till'  rity.  when  its  uaL'oris  lic^'ari  to  stall  and  its  sutnptuous 
(•arriatrfs  which  had  hrcn  stulfn  from  the  stahlfs  of  the  no- 
bility hfiran  to  hrt  ak  down.  As  fhr  Kmpcror  overtook  it  and 
pushed  his  way  thi'ouLrh,  it  was  ali'eady  a  disoriraiiised  rahhli'. 
Ill'  no  h)rie;ei-  eonunanded  a  (iiand  Army,  hut  was  swt'iit  aloii^' 
helplessly  in  tin  midst  of  the  strangest  horde  that  .  Europe 
liad  seen  siiii-e  the  Oolhs  poufed  out  of  the  (leniiau  forests. 

Cursini,'  and  sho\itin^  in  a  liahej  of  lan'^ua'_'es,  the  eonfust'il 
and  motley  p,  -sioii  stretchod  its  loni,'th  foi'  es  and  mili's 
as  it  wound  its  way  over  tlie  illimitalile  Ru>siaii  steppfs. 
If  the  men  \inder  anus  nund)ered  1(H),()U0,  and  no  one  knows 
how  many  there  really  were,  they  were  followed  l)y  half  as 
iiia'iy  more  noneomhataiits.  who  r\\u\<i  to  the  le^s  of  the  toil- 
ing army  and  lield  it  baek.  Some  of  these  were  prisoiiors, 
some  were  servants;  many  were  mere  han^'t>rs  on.  Beside  the 
eantine  wotnen  and  other  luirdy  mt'inbers  of  the  "love  escort 
who  had  survived  the  advance,  there  were  French  and  otlHi' 
foreign  women  residents  of  Moscow,  who  were  fleeing  from 
the  wrath  of  the  .Muscovites. 

Thei-e  were  'J00<)  army  wafrons  and  HTO  cannons  to  be 
dra<!;5,'eci  over  the  lonu'  weary  road  ahead  and  all  iiuinncr  of 
other  vt'hieles  loaded  down  with  the  spoils  of  .Moscow.  Some 
foolisli  looters  had  jiiled  their  booty  on  wlieelbarrows,  and 
were  starting,'  to  push  it  lHIHO  miles  across  Europe. 


Tin:  <;i;i:.\r  rirxcKDv 


:?.-.i 


^  K  ,irni_\  i\rr  \v;is  so  hiavily  iiiriiinliciril  with  li.iij'-'ii'r^f. 
It  .vas  |iluii(|ii'  |)()<ir  ,-it  thr  (iiitsrt.  ('(MMit  TdKtdi  lias  likmi'il 
it  to  a  iiuiiiki'v  wlidsr  hand  is  caiijiht  in  thr  naiTow  iir.k  of  a 
jar  "f  mits  hiif  who  nfiisrs  to  oj)c'ii  his  list  aiul  draw  it  out 
lor  fear  ol'  dii)|)|>iiiLr  his  loot. 

WiiL'litt'd  douii  with  1,'oid  and  sil\cr,  with  rii'li  stores  of  ran- 
ttitics  and  liMHors.  with  L'rcat  stuchs  of  h.-autiful  ^'ouns  and 
L'olil  lacod  coats,  tin-  uioti  lic^raii  a  niai'cn  of  many  Inindrt'dn 
of  mih'S  and  many  wci-ks  tiiroii!.'h  a  harrm  wiidci-niss  in  ii 
Russian  winter — with  worn-out  hoots  and  summer  uiiifonns 
ami  food  enoUi,'li  for  only  ten  da\sl 

Napoleon  hail  ho|io<i  to  throw  thr  ciirmy  olV  the  s.M-nt. 
When  Kutusof  overtook  him,  howivcr.  he  was  only  live  davs 
from  .Moseow.  Thenceforth  lie  Lad  to  hai'k  out  of  Russia, 
with  his  [iiirsiicr  pressinir  u|ion  him  at  every  stcj).  NiL'ht 
and  (lay  his  soldiers  were  forever  hesct  liy  Cossai'k  cavalry. 
Tliey  had  to  tiirht  not  only  for  roads  and  hridtres,  hut  also  take 
turns  in  wardin^r  otT  the  swannin;.'  pests  while  their  comrades 
slffit  or  stopped  to  cook  a  meal. 

After  passing  hy  the  field  of  Borodino,  on  wliieh  4(I,(H)()  of 
th' battle  slain  lay  unlniried  where  they  had  fallen  sevi'u  weeks 
before,  another  enemy  more  -rrim  than  an\  foe  in  arms  closed 
ill  upon  tile  re^re-itinsx  hand.  Ilunirer  now  pitiK'ssiy  assailed 
and  .^swiftly  thinned  its  ranks,  'i'lieri'  was  hardly  a  trraiii  of 
wheat  within  twenty  miles  of  tlie  road  on  either  side.  For 
tlic  two  rival  armies  while  [tassin<;  throu^'h  the  country  in 
.\ui.ni.st  and  Septemher  hail  eaten  it  hare  and  huriied  the 
villaj^'es.  The  f)oor  peasantry  had  received  an  impressive 
illustration  of  the  expressive  Russian  .saying':  "When  wolves 
fi?ht.  the  sheep  lose  their  wool." 

In  tlie  presence  of  starvation,  the  pandy  and  useless  spoils 
of  Moscow  were  east  aside  in  dismist.  The  Russians,  as  they 
folliiwed  alons,  found  tlie  hi<,diway  strewn  with  discarded 
treasures  and  ahandoned  wai-'ons  and  eannons.  Comrades 
aiid  messmates  betran  to  hide  from  one  another  their  flour, 
ri'c.  or  potatoes  as  something;  too  previous  to  he  shared.  I'n- 
fed  horses  sank  in  their  traces,  only  "     :)e  seized  iiiion  as  food. 


:5r)2 


;n  Till-:  i'(H)TSTi:i's  of  na in >[,!■:( )N 


ill  thf   wnh-  nf  a   >hip  at    sra,  and   packs  of  liowlin-   wnlvfS 
also  t(i(il<  \i\<  till'  rliase. 

N.arly  half  tiic  army  was  lost  in  the  first  two  wocks  of  th." 
r.'ti'cat,"uii  tin'  tii'st  1-'.i)  iiiilrs  of  th.'  march.  Aiul  not  more 
than  a  i'ourth  of  Hi- m  had  fallen  hcforc  the  Iniinan  foe  and 
nu't  a  soldier's  <leath.  All  that  havoc  was  wrought  hcforc  tl.c 
end  of  the  tirs*  week  in  Novciiihcr,  when  tlu-  weather  was  sn 
unscasonaiily  nuld  that  it  was  remarkwl  as  a  flifi  from  fortune 
to  her  lonu'-time  favourite.  Napoleon's  hnlletin  likened  ii 
to  "the  sun  and  the  heaiitiful  days  of  a  trip  to  Fontaine- 
bleau."  There  was  not  even  a  seiious  frost  the  lirst  week, 
and  the  t.'iiiiierature  did  not  fall  tielow  the  freezing  point 
until  the  army  was  twelve  days  out.  At  the  end  of  sixteen 
days  the  Kmperor  still  descrihed  the  weather  as  "perfect." 
Yet  his  armed  force  hail  dwindled  to  no.noil  men! 

Napoleon  was  not  overwhelmeil  by  the  elements  in  liis 
Russian  campaii-'u.  Neither  the  fires  of  Moscow  nor  the  snows 
of  the  stepjies  undid  him.  On  the  contrary,  before  ever  lie 
looked  upon  .Moscow  and  a  he  was  advancin<r  in  suminer. 
half  his  army  had  melted  away,  wliile  in  a  fortniirlit  of  a 
penial  autumn  he  lost  nearly  half  his  refroatinp:  army.  The 
weather  was  not  to  blame  for  the  stupendous  disaster  of  1>1-- 
The  ho.sts  of  the  twenty  nations  perished  for  the  simple,  nn- 
dramatic  reason  that  they  did  not  have  enou^di  to  eat.  Had 
they  been  housed  at  home  in  warm  barracks  they  could  not 
have  lived  on  the  food  and  drink  they  found  in  Russia.  By 
the  end  of  ten  days  after  the  retreat  l)e,i:an  there  was  neither 
bread  nor  beef  for  the  men. 

Truly  an  army  moves  on  its  belly.  On  oomin?  to  Russia 
Napoleon  had  violated  one  of  his  own  axioms.  ■•Never  make 
wai-  on  a  desert."  When,  in  a  mad  conceit,  he  marched  more 
t|,;ni  (i(H)ni)i)  men  info  a  poverty-sti'iekeii  wilderness,  where 
thev  eould  not  live  off  the  country  and  where  the  roads  were 
so  poor  that  the  Mipi.ly  tiains  were  stalled,  he  sealed  their 
doom  and  his  own.  Neither  (b-nei'al  January  nor  (Iciierai 
February  nor  yet  (iin.ral  Kutusof  was  needed  to  fix  his  fate. 
For  there  was  only  a  bi'okeii  fragment  of  the  army  left  when 


THE  riREA'i'  'lliAilEDY 


no:l 


the  first  snowflake  fell  in  thr  tinrd  wnk  of  tlir-  rinrr-at.     Nor 
(lid  Napoleon  lose  a  liattle  on  Russian  soil. 

As  the  winter  drew  on,  another  disaster  befell  the  remnant 
of  the  army  from  still  another  prosaic  eanse.  In  the  contideiit 
siiiiiiuer  days  when  supplies  were  laid  in,  ihoiiLrlit  iiad  not 
iiffii  taken  of  the  possibility  of  a  wintrr  cimjiaijxn,  and  no 
calks  were  provided  for  tlie  horses'  slioe>..  The  horses  of 
the  (wnali'v,  tlie  hospital  wairon^.  liie  siippls  ti'aiiis  and  the 
iruiis  not  bein^'  sharp-shod,  sli|i|)ed  on  the  iee.  and  when  they 
tell,  there  was  small  ehanee  of  their  lindin^r  streii^'th  to  luret  up 
ii'.'aiii.  For  want  of  a  little  sharp-pointed  piece  of  iron,  there- 
fore, the  army  sutfered  wurse  tlian  from  soiii"  far  more 
picturesque  eaus(  s. 

With  the  coming  of  the  snow,  the  sleet  aiul  the  icy  blasts 
of  winter,  the  men  not  orily  had  to  striiL:<rle  for  food,  but 
for  shelter  as  well,  '•Even  the  ravens  fro/e,"'  To  be  sure, 
the  temperature  never  api>roached  the  low  levels  to  which 
American  soldiers  ha\'e  lieen  exposed  in  some  Indian  eam- 
paijrus.  Hut  many  of  Napoleon's  men  were  from  the  siiiniy 
lands  of  the  Mediterranean,  and  all  were  so  ill  prepared  and 
ill  clothed  for  tlie  unaeeustomed  severity  of  a  more  riy;orous 
oliiiiate  that  they  were  era/.ed  by  the  bitin^^  cold. 

The  rear<iuard  marched  over  the  fallen  in  the  road,  but 
never  failed  to  stoj)  lonij  enou|_di  to  strip  the  bodies  of  any 
warm  jrarments  they  chanced  to  wear.  A  survivor  tells  of 
his  surprise  when  one  whom  he  sujiposed  to  be  dead  pleaded 
to  be  left  in  possession  of  a  fur  coat,  and  he  reports  bis  own 
pi'iiii  reply,  "All  ritrht,  I  can  wait." 

Ilinuanity  survived  in  some  breasts.  When  a  vivandiere 
was  delivered  of  a  (diild  in  th(>  snow,  the  colonel  of  her  reu'i- 
iiiciit  and  the  sure'eon  did  everythimr  poss'ble  for  her  com- 
tort.  With  her  infant  wi<.pi)e<l  in  sheepskins  in  her  arms,  she 
was  placed  on  the  coloiel's  horse  when  the  march  was  resumed 
Hic  next  inornin;jr.  Nevertheless,  as  the  re<_'iment  lialted  a  few 
days  later,  and  tlie  aiotber  prepared  to  tnirse  her  baby,  she 
'■nod  out  in  anguish  on  discdverintr  that  the  child  was  frozen. 
Ilcr  husband,  the  barber  of  the  regiment,  sailly  took  the  poor, 


354 


IX  THE  FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLEON 


lifi'loss  lit  tie  tliincr  fnmi  tlir  lirmst  of  tlio  weppinp  vivari'     it. 
kissed  it  and  laid  il  in  its  tumli  of  snow. 

Another  vivaniiiero,  wIk)  had  ;_nveu  two  children  to  thp 
snow,  is  iiortravfd  sittiiitr  hy  the  road  as  the  troops  stiunblc 
by,  liohlinir  in  hrr  laji  tiir  head  of  her  dying  husbaud  wldle  her 
one  reiuaininL'  <liild  is  liendin<r  over  them,  lii'r  tears  freezing; 
as  thfv  fall  on  tlie  t'atlh'r's  face.  The  dojr  of  a  reuiment,  who 
liad  iollowed  it  frou)  Spain  to  Vienna  and  to  Moscow,  tuiablc 
lon^'cr  because  of  frozen  feet,  to  keep  step  with  tlie  soldiers 
was  carried  on  the  slioulders  of  one  of  them  until  he  died  of 
tile  cold.  The  liumhle  loyalty  of  some  Germans  to  their  hoy 
prince  was  not  lost.  To  shield  tlu'  twciity-ycar'-old  prineelint: 
fi'om  a  hitter  niL,'ht  while  he  sl('i)t  in  ids  cloak,  tliey  stood 
around  him  in  a  solid  wall,  where  tliree-fourths  of  them  frozf 
and  dieil  that  lie  mi<,'ht  live. 

Wiien  the  wretched  remnant  of  the  army  eame  again  in 
siglit  of  the  towers  of  the  ruinetl  city  of  SmoU'usk,  the  Em- 
peror himself  was  afoot,  plodding  through  the  snow  with  an 
iron-pointed  statV.  In  the  tlii'ee  weeks  since  ho  left  ]\Ios;o\v. 
2(Kl  guns  had  liecii  ai)andoned  alonL'  tlie  lane  of  death.  AVerM' 
still,  tliousai  ds  of  the  weakened  men  liad  found  their  muskct> 
too  heavy  to  In-  carricil  and  liad  thrown  them  away.  Tlh 
force  was  now  rciluced  to  less  than  50.()()0  soldiers  in  widely 
separated  columns,  and  many  of  these  were  witiiout  weapons. 
In  the  twelve  weeks  that  had  passed  since  Napoleon  first 
stood  lie  fore  the  walls  of  Smolensk,  in  that  period  of  less  than 
three  montlis,  he  liad  lost  l.'i.ljOOO  men. 

As  he  paused  there  on  the  lianks  of  the  Dneiper.  the  Ivus- 
sians  were  closing  in  upon  him  from  all  directions  and  threat- 
ening every  avenue  of  escape.  lie  dared  not  wait  long  enouiih 
to  reunite  and  reorganise  his  slender,  scattered  forces,  and  he 
fled  for  safety  with  only  ir),(JC)0  men,  leaving  his  sick  heliiml 
him. 

When  he  came  to  Krasnoj,  almost  tlie  last  town  in  White 
Russia,  lie  halted  for  the  belated  divisions  of  Davout,  Eugene, 
and  Ni'y,  before  plunging  into  tlie  Lithuanian  wilds.  ^^  ith 
his  l."),lii)U  lialf-starved  veterans,  he  turned  in  desperation 
upon  his  80,001)  pursuers  and  cowed  them  with  the  dre;'.d  el 


THE  ORE AT  TRACEDY 


:]:■,:•, 


Ills  name.  ^larslial  Davniit  succeed  lU  joining  him,  and 
i'linee  Fhigene  jrot  arouiid  tlie  enemy  and  effected  a  junction 
with  till'  Kinperor,  hut  with  the  loss  of  nearly  half  of  his 
t^iiiHi  incu  in  twenty-four  hours. 

Davout  and  Eugene  having:  cauirht  up  with  .'dm  at  F\rasiii)i, 
Xai)olcon  presscil  on  without  waitintx  for  .\ey.  A^  he  sped 
onward,  he  had  sma'!  hope  of  ever  airain  seeing  ''the  hra\est 
of  the  hrave"  anioti.tr  his  nuirslials.  "I  liave,"  he  siiilied. 
•tni.iv  than  S0,()00,0()()  francs  in  the  crllars  of  the  Tuileries, 
iiiid  I  wdukl  ^dadlv  jrivf  them  all  for  the  ra  -iom  of  Marshal 
NVy." 

The  marshal  I'ansomrd  himself  with  hi.s  courage.  But  when, 
at  last,  he  overtook  the  Emperor,  oidy  !tOO  haggard  fai'cs 
ajiiiearcd  in  the  wasted  ranks  of  the  column  of  (10(1(1  warriors 
wli<»  had  left  Smolensk  four  days  hcfoi'e.  Oidy  those  000 
Were  left  of  the  cori)s  of  3!»,0U0  men  with  which  Xey  had  en- 
ttT'd  upon  the  Russian  cam[)aign.  In  a  few  days  2iHI  more 
would  rest  in  the  snows. 

.\s  Napoleon  in  his  flight  with  the  mockery  of  his  Grand 
Army  approached  the  Heresina  river,  the  sun.  which  no  longer 
shone  for  him  as  at  Austerlitz,  thawed  the  marshes  and  hroke 
up  the  ice  in  the  stream.  AVitli  only  ;'>().()()()  i  'ii,  he  nuist 
bridge  and  cross  a  river,  while  G.")  ()()0  Russian.-,  pressed  he- 
hind  him,  30,000  hore  down  upon  him  from  the  north  and 
^M.OliO  threati'iied  liin;  fi'om  the  south.  Yet  he  had  only  to 
turn  and  growl  at  them  to  throw  them  hack  in  such  panic  as 
to  spread  demoralisation  throughout  all  their  armies  and  ren- 
der comparatively  harmless  a  force  more  than  four  times 
grciiter  than  his  own. 

I'lduckily  he  had  hurned  his  pontoon  train  as  a  useless  in- 
I'Uiiihrance  only  to  tind  that  the  Russians  had  destroyed  the 
Iridu'e  liy  which  he  intended  to  pass  over  the  Beresina.  "Is 
it  written  there."  he  hitterly  exclaimed  as  he  looked  up  to  the 
heavens,  "that  we  shall  do  nothinir  hut  make  ndstakes'.'" 

For  the  lack  of  hetter  material,  he  tore  down  hou.ses  and 
built  his  hridges  of  such  sticks  as  he  could  i)ick  up.  In  the 
fairer  11  ess  of  his  soldiers  to  put  the  river  between  them  and  the 
Hu^vians,  they  fought  among  themselves  in  the  desire  of  all 


:{56 


IN  riii:  K 


TKl'S  OF  XAI'dlJloN 


to  talii'  a  liiiihl  in  Ihc  work  of  liridi-'int,'  it.  They  lc;ij ml  into 
the  icy  waters  up  to  tlu'ir  sliouUlcrs  and  lal)oiiri  il  there  until 
two  Ijridges  spaniird  the  little  stream  no  widi-r  than  a  narrow 
eity  street.  Hut  not  uuue  than  live  in  IdO  of  tliosr  dcvot'i. 
lirid'.:e  liuildei's  survived  the  exposure  anil  returned  to  t!i'  i:' 
lionies. 

Napoleuu  and  tlie  Uld  Guai'd  at  onee  crossed  to  the  honb'. 
ward  bank.  Th^re,  liowever.  they  lird  to  make  an  all  d,iy 
liM:lit  to  heat  otY  a  Russian  army  whieli  had  come  lo  dispuie 
tlieir  passa^'e.  The  weathei-  \\as  •irowimx  coldei'  and  jxuanls- 
men  went  ahout  the  eiiiiip  eallin^  for  dry  lirewnod  to  keep  the 
shivc"  in<^  monarch  wai'ni  in  his  Imxel  on  the  rivei'  hank. 
Thou-rh  themselves  chilled  to  the  nun  row.  hall'  tiead  ^'rcnadiei'> 
took  faeots  '.'rom  tlieir  own  scanty  piles  and  said,  "Give  these 
to  the  I->mpei'or." 

On  the  other  shore,  the  army  and  its  liiiiiirers  on,  deprived 
(d'  \'a]ioleon's  care,  liecanic  an  tinmana^reahle  mob.  Not  that 
they  stampeded  in  theii'  haste  to  eseape  oNcr  tlic  I'ivcr.  *hi 
the  contrary,  the  hridu'es  ri'inained  idle  all  lULrht  loni;,  whili' 
t'rosthitlen  men  ami  women  persisted  in  stayiuLT  near  the 
hfidLTe  heads  in  the  warmth  ,it'  the  hurnimr  wairons  thai  inul 
lieeii  devoted  to  (h'structioii.  Thousands  of  others,  stupefied 
liy  hun^'er  and  benumlieil  by  cold.  said<  into  a  sluir'jfisli  indif- 
ference to  their  fate,  from  which  tin  ,•  could  not  he  awakened 
in  th(>  tnonunt:  until  they  saw  t!ie  spears  of  the  Cossacks 
lieariuix  down  upon  them  and  the  slitdls  of  the  Ilussian  artil- 
lery rainin<x  from  the  h.ei^'hts  hclnnd  them. 

Then  they  rose  in  a  wild  pnnic  and  madly  fouefht  with  nue 
another  at  tlie  entrance  to  the  hridu'cs,  whicli  were  (|iiiekiy 
chol'  'd  with  liorsi's.  waLi'ons,  and  yruns.  men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren. .Many  wci'e  struck  down  in  the  heedh'ss  laish  and  nii'iiy 
otliers  were  pushed  into  tiie  river.  One  of  the  l)ridc:es  at  i.isf 
saidv  l)cneath  its  burden  and  filled  the  stream  with  a  .scream- 
ing, struirelinu'.  di'ownin^'  mass.  Many  were  still  on  the  re- 
mainin<:  bridire  when  the  Russians  advaneed  to  vid/e  it  aim 
tiie  Fren<-li  fired  it,  gtiviner  their  own  i)e(i])b'  to  the  tlanics  or 
the  waters  to  save  themselves  from  pursuit.  Other  thousands 
Were  still  on  the  shore,  readv  for  the  Cossack  knife. 


TiiK  <;i;kat  'n;A(ii:i)Y 


357 


INrliaps  only  12.0i)ii  nv  l.i.ooo  had  rTOss.'d  the  Rerosina,  no 
iiKire  ill  iiiiiiihcr  than  tlicy  who  wtTe  fouiul  asleep  on  tlie  hank 
wiicn  the  l\ussian  spring'  raiiir  and  liftiMl  their  mantle  of  .simw. 
lint  flood  and  tianie  nevef  told  Imw  niaiiy  tlidusands  i,(  lives 

they  took    hetWeell    llielll. 

••Food!"  '-Food:"  •■K(H,d:"  'I'hat  was  the  ery  Napo- 
leon Sent  on  ahead,  as  he  marched  his  tntterch'iiialions  toward 
\iliia.  wliere,  live  inontlis  hefore.  tiie  earth  had  trembled  he- 
ii.'iith  thf  tread  of  his  himdreds  of  thousands  of  troops.  He 
himself  was  not  <:oiii-r  to  Vilna,  hut  was  ahoiit  to  shake  oil" 
his  iiiirhtmare  army.  A  month  had  passed  sinee  a  eouriei-. 
riiliii,ir  at  a  furious  pai'e.  raiiu'  to  him  mi  the  maivii  to  Smo- 
h'lisk  and  IirouudiT  the  report  ol'  a  movement  to  seize  the  jrov- 
cniinei't  at  Paris.  A  demented  man,  who  liad  broken  away 
frnm  I  is  keepers,  had  l>een  able  to  eommunieate  to  others  his 
(Miision  that  the  Kmperor  was  (had.  plae(-  him.self  in  com- 
mand of  fJOO  of  the  (iuard  and  cast  into  prison  Savarv,  the 
minister  of  police,  alon--  with  the  prefect  of  police.  If  a'cra/.y 
imiii.  armed  with  a  cra/y  rumour,  could  .hi  that,  .Xapoleoii 
naturally  wondered  what  would  beeome  o^  liis  throne  if  lie 
were  not  seated  U|.on  it,  when  I'aris  should  hear  that  the 
(irand  Army  was  dead. 

He  rode  into  the  little  village  of  Smorponi.  therefore,  witli 
a  rlctermination  to  fre.-  himself  from  the  wrecka^'e  ami  race 
to  his  capital  ahead  of  the  news  of  his  disaster.  ClosetinLT 
himsi'lf  at  Snior^'oni,  he  sat  down  and  wrote  the  last  bulletin 
of  the  eampaisn,  blamini:  everythinc-  on  the  Kussian  winter 
ami  on  "men  whom  nature  had  not  fashioned  stoutlv  enou'di 
to  be  above  all  the  chances  of  fate  and  fortune.^'  \\s  if  "to 
ilraw  a  contrast  betw.'en  himsi^lf  and  the  Half  .Million  who 
l';i«l  fallen,  he  ad<led.  "the  health  of  His  .Majesty  has  n.-ver 
l'>'en  better."  That  closimr  line,  however,  obvioiislv  had  the 
!'-ss  sinister  motive  of  assurinir  tiie  restless  revolutionists  of 
rniiice  that  the  eatrle  was  not  wiiiiXed. 

I-'iiially  bavin-  commiited  to  Kiie,'  .Mural  the  horrid  skele- 
ton of  the  jrreatest  military  body  that  ever  lu.d  marched  to 
warm  modern  times,  Xapoleon  stole  away  bv  niirht  in  an  open 


358 


IN  TIIH   K()()TSTi:i'S  OF  NA POhKON 


fruidi'.  It  was  not  L'loi'i(Mis.  hut  it  was  tlir  only  tliinu'  to  Mo, 
Soinr  oiif  else  coulil  Irad  the  staLTi-'rfin;,'  'l"cn  'I'iiouNand  liiit  li. 
aloiu',  oni'f  lit'  was  in  Paris,  could  stanii>  his  foot  and  raisr  ii[i 
iii'W  h'^iuns. 

Other  detachments  eaiiic  and  .)cin>  il  the  little  coiuinu  t'rom 
^Foseow.  hut  ouly  to  swell  its  list  of  deaths  to  20,01)0  in  th.' 
short  distam-"  hctween  Sinoru'oni  and  Vilna.  The  I'eastuiL' 
in  the  latter  rity  (iro\rd  to  he  as  fatal  as  the  fastinj^  had  ht  eu 
on  the  inarch  from  .Moscow. 

As  ilie  lliL'ht  to  Kovno  hejran  then?  were  only  9000  luulcr 
arms.  When  Xey,  hrin^dni,'  u\)  the  rear,  rode  into  that  town 
on  the  Xicnicn.  the  L'atc\say  which  in  June  had  oj^encd  so  in- 
vitinfjly  to  the  irrave,  he  found  2000  soldiers  lyiiijX  drunk  in 
the  stri'ets.  Others,  liardl\'  less  delirious  from  privation, 
crouched  ahout  the  tires  and  doi:i,'edly  refused  to  take  the  U-w 
steps  rcnuiiiun^  to  complete  their  loiii?  retreat  out  of  Kiissia. 

The  Cossaek.i  soon  swoopit:^  down  upon  tlie  place,  seat 
lumic  into  the  feehle  ranks  of  the  little  rear  jrnard.  Ney. 
however,  seized  a  musket  and  layinix  low  tiie  boldest,  fouudit  on 
until  he  had  on.y  thirty  men  in  his  redouht,  but  he  had  re- 
{lelU'd  his  assailants.  The  next  mornin<;  at  dawn,  he  crossed 
the  Xi(-men,  the  last  to  quit  Russian  soil. 

The  pursuiiifr  Cossacks  galloped  beyond  their  national 
boundary,  and  the  miserable  frafjrment  of  the  (Jrand  Army 
broke  into  atoms  ;is  it  disjiersed  in  tlie  sliclterinir  woods  of 
East  Prussia.  A  sjiectral  l)and  of  400  of  the  Old  Guard 
stalked  into  Koni^sbery  behind  Murat,  who,  remeinbcriiii; 
that  he  as  well  as  Xapoleon  had  a  throne  to  save,  'irofiped  thr 
command  aiul  liasteiied  away  to  Xaples.  The  ever  faithful 
Trince  Eugene  then  picked  up  such  pieces  as  he  could,  ami 
welding  them  togetlier  in  the  warmth  of  his  own  loyalty  to 
the  Empire,  backed  across  Germany  until  he  stood  on  the 
shore  of  the  Elbe. 

The  Rusisian  campaitru  was  at  an  end.  Again  the  Czar 
was  dancing  at  Vilna. 

The  cost  of  the  expedition  in  human  life  was  so  enonnmis 
tluit  there  is  no  agreement  as  to  the  total.  P>y  one  cab'ula- 
fion.   (;:^0..000   ,nen   entered    Russia   and   (iO,000  returned.     For 


THE  (IHEAT  'rK.\<ii:i)V 


:{,j!) 


iiltliouj-'li  only  noOO  oscapod  ovit  tlu'  Xiciin  n  witli  their  arms, 
there  wore  small  supportint?  columns  in  I'oiand  wliicii  were 
not  enKapod  in  the  deadly  advain'e  and  retreat,  an<l  which 
sufTcred  mucli  less.  The  Russians  boasted  that  they  look 
Udtl.OdO  prisoners,  hut  how  many  of  ♦hese  tlied  in  captivity  or 
rciiiained  after  the  war  to  disapji'-ar  Into  the  Russian  nation 
110  one  knows. 

Another  computation  pivcs  125,000  as  tlie  luimber  slain  in 
liattlc,  1:52,(100  as  dyin<r  of  i)rivation,  and  leaves  to  douht  the 
fiitc  of  the  captured,  while  lO.OiH)  is  jrivcn  as  the  total  of  the 
Ki'Mch  who  escaped  witii  their  lives.  Xapoleon  iiimself  ad- 
mitted a  loss  of  ;U)0,000  men.  Of  the  more  than  1200 
puns  Napoleon  hurled  into  the  friirhtfid  abyss,  at  least 
a  full  thousand  were  lost,  to<;ether  with  countless  standards 
and  eajrU'S.  The  crew  went  ilowu  hut  the  officers  were  saved, 
not  a  marshal,  not  a  man  above  the  rank  of  general  of  division 
liiiviuLT  been  sacrificed. 

Tile  atruretrate  of  the  Russian  losses  is  unknown.  But  the 
iinuics  of  the  Czar  sotVered  oidy  less  than  Xapoleon "s.  They 
lost  5(1.000  between  Moscow  and  Krasnoi,  and  the  estimated 
total  for  the  entire  campaiirn  of  six  months  runs  as  hi<,'h  as 
!.')( 1,111)0. 

FleeiuL'  over  the  snow  iiipht  and  day  from  the  scene  of  the 
tni^'edy.  the  Emperor  surprised  his  ambassador  at  Warsaw  by 
his  sudden  and  -unheralded  appearance  in  the  Polish  capital. 
Till'  inn  at  which  he  stayed  under  an  assumed  name  is  now  the 
Hotel  English,  u-a]  Xapoloonic  pictures  hau":  on  the  walls 
which  echoed  his  memorable  exclamation  as  he  compared  the 
pomp  of  June  with  the  plight  of  December,  "It  is  but  a  step 
from  the  sublime  to  the  ridiculous." 

A  knock  at  the  door  of  the  French  embas.sy  at  Dresden  was 
the  tirst  announcement  of  his  returii  to  the  Saxon  capital, 
which  had  last  sccti  him  with  the  monarchs  of  Europe  at  his 
feet.  Xow  he  came  in  the  night,  without  trumpeters  or  even 
servants,  and  borrowed  !{i800  and  six  shirts  for  the  re^t  of  his 
homeward  Hiirht. 

At  Weimar,  the  sleisrhinfr  i^rew  poor  and  he  ehanp'd  to  a 
carriage.     Tnis  time,  however,  he  did  not  venture  irito  the 


360 


1\  Till',   I'ooTSTKI'S  (»K  NAl'oLKt-N 


oastlc.  as  aftrr  tin-  iJa'llr  mI'  .ima.  Imt  rxciisrd  liimsrlf  to  tLr 
Diirhtss  1)1'   Wfiiiiar  uri   lln'  LTdiiin'  that    lie   \va>  not  juT.M'iit- 


aiiii'. 


For  tlii'ii  urcks  F'aris  lia.l  licanl  not  a  woi'il  from  \\\<-  lliii- 
ptTor  or  tile  aiiiiy  until  tlir  apiiraram  !•  (Hic  'iiorniiiL'  in 
Dfi'i'iiilirr  ol'  tin-  lasl  liullctiii  ]iciiiif(l  at  Smorudiii.  'I'ln'  lU'Xt 
iii^'ht  at  clrvni-tliirty,  al'tcr  Mane  liOiiisc  hail  uoiic  lu  s\rv\\ 
Napulroii.  (lisi:iusr(l  in  t'lirs  bryoiid  lift'  ready  rcroi^riitioa, 
burst   ill  upon  tiir    Kniprrss. 

In  till'  inoriiin^',  Paris  awoke  to  the  startliii'^'  rejiort  that  in- 
stead of  lieiriir  in  Russia.  Iiattliii^'  wdli  suowii rills,  the  I'.iii- 
peror  was  safe  in  his  palace  and  wouhl  liold  a  levee  at  nine. 
Ill  her  surprise,  the  exeited  city  all  hut  forirot  to  ask  hini  v.liM.t 
had  bcennie  of  the  (irand  Army,  and  Fi'aiiee  promptly  rose 
at  his  uall  to  face  allied  Furope  onee  more. 


CilArTKli  XLII 

TIIK   Iv'lSlXC  ()F  TTIK  PKOn.F.S 

1813      ACE    43 

yr^  '.:''.(>!, ni-lNI',!)  bx-  tlif  ruhniiiiv-  tliiit  liiiil  (iv.Twlirlin.Ml 
t^  Xiipolrdii  iiml  his  afni>  in  lln'  l»iissi;in  caiiip.iii.ni.  llu' 
J— J  I II  Mil  lie  of  ( lii'iiiaiiy  I'dsr  ill  till'  MiiiiiiiiT  (if  ]'^]\  ami  it'll 
updii  liiiii.  'I'Im'  I'  :'!'■!•  nf  iliat  <:ivat  pn|iu!ai-  iipri>iiiir  was 
iiiiiK.'  Other  lliaii  AirxaiiiliT  I.  tln'  aiitoiT.it  of  all  llif  Riissias, 
who  prfsciit<(l  liiiiisrif  as  llic  diliNiTri'  (if  llic  nations  from  the 
fyniiiiiy  <it'  llic  Frfin'h. 

Napoleon  cdulil  nut  Iirlicvi'  lliat  llic  rontinriit  wonld  tfust 
itsdf  to  siicli  a  li-adci'sliip.  He  never  eeased  to  admonish  the 
coimtrics  of  the  west  to  liewaiv  of  the  liussian  peril,  wliieh  ht> 
himself  had  alwa.xs  viewe(i  with  dread.  Xo  douht  he  was 
lionestly  pei'suaded  that  he  was  defeiidinir  civilisation  when 
lie  marshalled  tlie  hosts  of  twenty  nations  and  led  them  aeainst 
the  Czar,  and  he  was  <'ipially  sincere  at  Si.  Helena  when  he 
raised  the  wariiin;,'  cry.  "In  ten  years,  Huro|ie  can  be  all 
Ctissaek  or  all  rei)ublican.'' 

Diplomacy  as  well  as  politics  makes  strange  bedfellows. 
Imwrvrr.  and  in  lfU4.  Kn'^'land  and  France  appeared  as  tlie 
allies  of  the  Slav  a.L'ainst  the  Teuton.  Napoleon  failed  to  fore- 
see tlie  development  of  the  fireat  G<>rmanie  Empire  which 
Would  aveiitre  Jena  at  Seda.ii ;  ehallcnire  Knirland  on  the  sea 
and  divide  the  west  in  a  political  and  economjc  rivalry.  Thus 
in  tlic  War  of  the  Nations,  France  and  Fmrland  joined  with 
Ku-^^ia  aixainst  the  fiermans  just  as  \0()  years  a^o  Germany 
-iid  Kiifrland  joined  with  her  ajxainst  the  French. 

.Ml  of  Napoleon's  fellow  sovereiuns  shared  in  some  deg:ree 
Ms  distrust  of  K'ussia.  when  in  the  spring  of  1S13,  the  avenpr- 
!!!!?  f'zai'  entered.  Hi'v^Minv  in  t^orsuit  of  tlie  wreck  of  the 

3i!l 


he  re- 


362 


i\  TiiK  i''()()'rsri;i's  ny  na I'o  1,1:0 x 


tnatiii'^'  (Iraiul  Aniiv.  "  NaiMiltoii  or  1,  1  or  Napolton," 
Ali'Xaiidcr  liad  LWclaiiiird.  "We  caimot  rciiTii  >nU:  \)y  siiU'." 
Tin-  carfli  was  nut  lar^'r  riiouj,'li  to  l)i'  ciiviilcil  with  the  Corsi- 
caii. 

The  sul).ju^'ati(l  iiioiiarchs  of  tlic  ucst  drew  baek  from  the 
otTiT  ot"  the  (V.ar  to  lit-  their  (hd'ciidcr.  Thry  sccnicd  for  a 
tiiin'  to  |»ri'fcr  cvrn  ihc  rliaiiis  of  \\ir  l''iTnch  and  the  ills  thfv 
had,  rathi'i'  tliaii  t!.v  to  oIImts  unknown  which  tiif  Slavs  iiii^,'lit 
hrin^,'  iijion  thciii.  Tlir  l-jiipci-or  ol'  Aiisti'ia  and  the  Kiiin  of 
Prussia  riiuail.\  drt.idfd  thr  thirst  of  the  h'ussian  ht-ar  for 
the  waters  of  the  Ilelies|ioiit  and  tlie  X'islula. 

Wiuh'  tile  crowned  iieads  of  Kiirojie  hesitated  between  a 
clioice  of  evils,  their  suhjerts  hailed  Ale  ier  as  a  saviour 
and  they  welcomed  as  friends  and  hrothei's  the  wild  horse- 
men from  the  X'alley  of  the  Don  as  they  hjpeu  across  the 
(Jernuui  jilains  elear  to  the  j^ates  of  Ilamhur;^.  The  (jei'iaan 
people  spi'an;_'  to  arms  and.  throwiiiL'  otf  the  irallint;  yoke  of 
the  Freneli,  drew  ai'ound  the  iiated  conquerur  of  Jena,  a 
truerdou  of  lire  and  ii'on. 

Napoleon  mi^'ht  still  he  the  ally  of  kinirs  hut  he  was  no 
lonj^'er  the  son  of  the  Revolution  and  the  hoix-  and  champion 
of  mankind.  On  the  eontrary,  he  saw  the  inspiring?  title  of 
Liberator,  whit'h  he  wore  in  his  nuiLrie  youth,  cautrht  up  Iw  a 
Knssiun  Czar  antl  Haunted  on  the  banners  of  the  Cossacks, 
who  snatelied  from  him  the  watchwords  of  patriotis  n  and 
liberty  which  in  other  days  had  Hred  his  legion  with  an  irre- 
sistiiile  passion.  Patriots  were  no  longer  belrlnd  him  hut 
were  in  front  of  liim  and  t\wy  challenged  him  whiehevor  way 
he  turned,  whether  in  Spain,  iti  Russia  or  in  (Jermany. 

Hyron  and  Tom  Moore  sing  the  nnhappy  lot  of  the  eagle 
whieh  saw  his  own  feathers  plucked  to  wing  the  darts  that 
brought  liim  to  his  doom.     Such  was  the  fate  of  Xapoleon. 

In  vain  he  appealed  to  his  new  allies,  the  kings  and  i)rinces, 
to  livlp  him  beat  back  the  tide  of  i)opular  feeling.  Fatuously 
imagining  tliat  the  bond  of  blood  was  as  sacred  and  strong 
among  the  Ilapsburgs  as  the  Corsicans,  he  looked  upon  Mane 
Louise  and  her  baby  as  hostages  of  peace  between  Austria  and 


TllK  lUSIXC  OF  Tin:   I"i:n|-r>KM 


363 


Wliilc  111'  \\:i-  relying,'  on  ;i  \(iiiiiLr  uoiiimii  iiinl  a  tet'tliiiit? 
iiild,  a  poor  little  (Jcriiiiiii  ^'iil,  willmut  ii  cioun  and  without 
,1  title,  iiitliifiii'cii  tliL-  liistiiii'.s  of  iiiitioiis  far  more  than  the 
(laiitrhtiT  and  tlic  ^'randson  of  Ihr  lia|islMiri,'s  W'hiii  that 
Mnipii'  fniulcin  sold  hrr  fin^'rr  ring's  for  ^l..')!)  and  j^'avc  the 
iiiohcy  foi-  the  triunipli  of  her  fatherland,  the  loyal  women  of 
lierinany  eau^rht  the  in  feet  ion  of  jpr  spirit  of  saeritiee  and 
iieapfd  upon  the  altar  of  patriotism  not  only  theii-  ring's  but 
all  their  trold  and  silver  as  well.  As  many  as  ind.ODii  (ierruaii 
V.iiieii,  we  are  told,  pulled  the  weddini;  rintrs  oil'  theii  flnixei's 
and  dumped  thein  in  the  mint,  -.'hnlly  taking'  ami  proudly 
wearing?  in  exidumLM-  iion  riiiu's  inseribed,  "(iuld  I  ^mvc  for 
iron." 

Altlioujili  Goethe  mi|,'ht  smile  and  say  to  the  TirrmaiK, 
"Shake  your  eliains,  if  you  will;  .\.i|)oleon  is  too  stron;-'  for 
you;  yo\i  will  not  break  them,"'  simpler  minds  were  braver 
mil  truer.  The  si«irit  of  <^uten  Louise  \\all;ed  abroad;  sonu'S 
if  freedom  bur.st  upon  the  land  and  the  ehureh.  the  sehool 
and  the  home  were  leafjued  for  (Jerman  independenee. 

When  the  patriot  politicians  had  indueed  Frederick  \Vii- 
Haiii  to  leave  Berlin,  wliieli  was  still  oidy  a  French  ^'arrison, 
till'  rrussiau  Kiniu'  was  (luickly  swept  away  on  the  tide  of 
patriotism.  Austria,  however,  tledared  an  armed  neutrality, 
'I'li  eiie  of  her  ablest  statesmen.  Count  Stadion,  only  foretold 
til'  truth  when  Ik;  said,  "We  are  no  lontri'r  master  of  our  own 
ailairs:  the  tide  of  events  will  carry  us  alon^'. " 

Tile  Kmpire  and  the  church  still  were  at  war.  The  Em- 
I»'i'ir  Francis  havinjr  ai)pealed  to  his  son-in-law  to  deal  more 
i.''iitly  with  the  Poiie,  Napoleon  had  ordered  I'ius  VII  to  be 
hrought  from  Savona  to  Fontainobleau  in  1812.  Ther(\  in  the 
irreat  palace,  the  prisoner  was  installed  in  spacious  apartments, 
\vith  carriajies  and  servants  at  his  commaml.  But  Pius  de- 
■lincd  the  favours  of  his  captor  and  dwelt  like  a  hermit  in  the 
sumptuous  chateau. 

N'apoleou  never  was  so  futile  apainst  any  other  antaoronlst 
as  airaiiist  the  gentle  shepherd  of  the  flock  of  Rome,  whoso 
Empire,  unarmed  and  invisible,  cahnly  withstood  the  assaults 
of  the  Great  Gai^tain.     "  *'  '        '     '        '  '  '        '"    ' 


Ale>:;i.!!d{'r   :]i'c]p.ri-.]    liiMi;:'!  t"   *]'.: 


.'tlil 


l.\  Tl!l';   |(ii)TSTi;i'S  oi'  \.\l'(>lj:r)N' 


-f  ,Iii|Mtrr,  ,•111. 1  ill  m\  tiiMc."  hr  (■(.iiipliiiiinl,  ••!  111,!  a  p,.i,.gt 
iiinrr  |i()\\(rl'ul  thiiii   I  ilia  !" 

Whrli    the   \riir    1>1;{   (.|.rrir,|,    VvnWr   u;is  ;i    IKlllOII    (1  isa  riiir,i 

and  U(us,.  ihiin  tli;it.  II, r  best  li^'lilin-  nim  ;,ini  li,r  wnr 
iiiatrriiil  wciv  citlur  hiirird  bciicatii  tiir  Russian  sih.ws  or 
wviv  lidtly  ciilisf,.,!  ill  til..  Spanish  .•ampai'^'ii  aLMitisf  ih,.  allied 
Spanianls  and  Kn-lisli  undrr  W-llm-lun.  Two  dcra.lcs  of 
waifaiv  had  drainrd  tlir  r,Minti-y  «il  its  military  n'Nourm 
■■Hid  Irft  It  ill  a  state  nf  fxhaiistinii  whicli  many  iii(iloj,'ists 
rniitrnd  is  ivtl.ctr.l  to  this  (hiv  ill  111,,  national  hirtli  rate. 

'"'"'  ''""'  I'ad  l.i'cn  .•omii.d  a-aiii  and  aL'ain,  and  now  it 
liad  to  hr  coiiihcd  uith  linr  tivth.  'riic  sons  of  tlir  wril-to-do 
who  had  hr,n  avoiding' sirvicr  liy  payinu'  from  .^JollO  to  .*.'>n(i|) 
for  siilisfitiilrs  wnv  rakrd  in  aion-  with  thosr  who  had  drawn 
lll'■l^y  iiiimhrrs  in  tlio  yearly  draft.  For  three  y,.ars  the  ai, 
iHial  eonseriiiti.,11  had  Ikm^ii  aiitiripated  to  m.'etthe  deiiiaiiiU 
of  the  Spanish.  W'a-raiii  and  K'lissian  eaiiipaiL'iis.  and  the 
youth  of  the  nation  had  heeii  ealhd  to  the  e(,lours  a  year  in 
advance  of  the  normal  tim.'.  No-  another  foived  loan  wa.s 
exioi'teii  fn,ni  the  future,  and  the  eoiiseripts  of  ls]4  w.Tt; 
siiatehed  from  their  mothers  in  the  heLdnnintr  of  lsl:i. 

TIh'  adult  male  population  of  the  eountry  had  l)eeii  win- 
nowed  so()ften  that  hanlly  anythinu'  ivmaiiicci  hut  the  cliatr. 
The  pli.\siral  standai'dsof  recruit  ini:  weiv  lowered  to  catch  all 
who  Wi'i,'  lii-  enoin_di  to  carry  a  musket.  .Many  of  the  recruits 
were  so  small  or  yoiiiiir  that  Savary,  tlii"  iniiiister  of  [lolico. 
ohjeeti'd  to  their  drillin;^'  hefore  the  jecrin.'  crowds  of  cvnical 
I'aris. 

The  (M|uin.'  raco  liad  sufTered  with  the  liuman  from  the 
<lesolation  of  the  wars.  The  eountry  was  without  horses  old 
and  stron.,'  enoudi  to  draw  the  artillery,  and  that  branch  was 
seriously  crippled  by  animals  too  youni:  and  small  for  the 
load. 

In  tile  face  of  all  difficulties,  Xapoleon  had  jmi  army  of  more 
than  200,()(H)  soldiers  in  C.'ermany,  with  600  eannoii,"  when  he 
left  Paris  for  the  front  at  one  o'oloek  of  an  A|)ril  moriiiiiL'. 
As  ho  was  leavinnr.  he  invested  the  Empress  with  the  rc>rciicy 
and  bade  srood-bve  to  lli<>  little  K'in.r  nf  I?n.„,.   •..i,^  ;.,  ,■.,;„  I,,.d 


TlIK  RlSlNd   OF  TlIK   I'KUl'Li:^ 


:iG.') 


b,H-n  lisping  the  prayer  for  peace  wliidi  his  governess  tantrht 

liini.  -o       •       1 

In  less  tliau  four  months  sinee  his  return  from  Russia  the 
i:;i,|.,.i'(,r  had  built  up  a  iiew  army  on  the  wrerk  of  the  (.rand 
Army.  It  is  well  to  reineinl)er  that  he  had  lo  do  it  without 
n4.  i:ra[ihs  or  telephones,  without  railways  or  autoinohiUs, 
willinut  even  a  press  to  aid  him  in  rallyin<^'  and  enrolling  the 
peeple  a. id  in  organising  and  supplying  his  forces. 

liianks  to  his  own  titaiuc  labours,  he  was  enabled  to  er<iss 
th.-  Khiue  with  nearly  twice  as  many  men  as  tiie  Russians 
and  the  Prussians  had  been  alile  to  ass.-i  ible  against  liim. 
F.'u.  however,  had  ever  sniellrd  powder  and  most  of  them  had 
t„  l.i.  taught  to  load  a  niuskrt.  The  majority  of  their  eor- 
:.orals,  sergeants,  lieutenanls  and  captains  also  were  strangers 
to  war.  The  veteran  oftieers  of  the  lower  grades  as  well  as  the 
veterans  in  the  ranks  lay  b.'iieath  tli,"  wheat  tields  of  tiie 
Diiiiulie.  in  t;:e  vaUeys  and  on  the  Si.^ras  of  S|)ain.  or  on 
t!i.-  Kiissian  stepi>es.  Moreover,  the  very  sold  of  the  army 
wiis  (had  and  its  connaander  no  longer  wore  the  aureole  of 
vii-torv. 

Ti„"  foe,  on  tlie  other  hand,  not  only  had  stolen  away  th." 
-!  irit  of  tlie  (irand  ,\rmy,  but  many  of  the  officers  of  the 
i'lussiau  contingent  also  iiad  borrowed  leaves  from  tlie  mas- 
ter's t'ook  of  recipes  for  making  war  and  they  understood  the 
Xapolconie  method  as  well  as  his  own  marshals.  They  had 
not  served  for  nothing  a  seven  years'  apprenticeship  sine(! 
■Ii'iiii. 

.\lthough  Napoleon  had  sternly  limited  the  army  of  con- 
iu.  ivil  I'russia  to  42.1100  men,  its  stall'  had  been  smart  enouLdi 
to  2ive  vacations  by  the  wholesal  '  and  call  up  new  men  to  sub- 
finite,  tlius  making  the  little  organisation  a  training  school 
nr  manv  more  tiian  the  stipulated  number.  At  the  out- 
I'lViik  of  "the  war,  tlie  King  had  recalled  (!»'neral  Uliicher  from 
H  baiii.shnient  whicii  he  had  incurred  by  his  tiery  rebellion 
airainst  the  Freiicii  domination,  and  had  placed  him  in  com- 
mand. 

Like  most  of  the  patriot  lenders  who  had  arcmsed  Prussia. 
Bliiclier  w\.j  not  a  Prussian  but  a  native  of  a  minor  German 


;JG6 


IN  TIIH  F()()TSTi:rS  OF  NAl'OLKON 


stato.  All  old  man  of  srvcnty-two,  his  tlaniiiif;  liatn-d  of 
Xapoltoii  tilled  liim  with  liie  an'nur  of  youth  and,  althongh 
an  illiterate,  hard-driniun!.'  loud-sweari'i^'.  tuiiiultuous  eliar- 
acter,  his  natural  ti.Lditin^'  qualities  made  uj)  for  his  laek  of 
tochnieal  knowledu'e. 

Tlie  Allies,  iiowever,  sufTered  fvom  a  divided  command. 
Tlie  Slavs  would  not  tolerate  a  Teuton  over  them  and  the 
Russians  liad  not  yet  d.  veloj.ed  a  hi-xh  order  of  generalship 
among  themselves.  Kutusof  had  died  just  a.i  lie  finished  his 
loner  chase  of  .\a])oleon,  and  the  Russian  Czar  was  the  real 
commander  of  his  contiui-'eiit  in  tlu'  allied  army  in  Germany. 
Alexander  had  no  special  military  training,  but  he  was  served 
by  a  fairly  sound  eommon  sense. 

The  Russians  and  Prussians  undertook  iirst  of  all  to  wrest 
Saxony  from  Napoleon's  control,  and  that  kingdom  bore  the 
brunt  of  tiie  entire  war  of  1S13.  For  six  months  the  Saxon 
plains  were  trami)led  hy  the  armies  of  all  the  nations  of  Hu- 
rope;  humble  homes  were  laid  waste,  and  the  sickle  of  Death 
reaped  in  the  fields  where  the  Toiling  peasants  had  sown, 
while  in  the  des;)eratioii  of  a  loser,  the  discarded  favourite 
gambled  with  fate.  For  a  half  year  the  hurricane  of  war 
swept  back  and  forth  over  a  battle  ground  ninety  miles  long 
and  forty  miles  wnle. 

The  storm  tirst  broke  in  full  fury  on  an  afternoon  in  early 
]\ray  at  Liit/.en,  neai-  where  Gnstavus  Adolplms  fciiiul  his 
grave  and  where  the  land  rolls  away  to  the  mountains  of  Bo- 
hemia. At  the  end  of  a  bloody  half-day  struggle  between 
180,000  men,  there  came  that  inevitable  hour  of  weariness  and 
irresolution  for  which  Nai)olenn  always  waited  and  watched 
in  the  ebb  and  How  of  the  battle  tide.  Tlieii  he  called  out, 
"Eighty  ^uu-„  Drouot!"  The  guns,  being  (piickly  parked, 
opened  their  months  and  poured  forth  a  torrent  of  ircn  and 
fire  which  tore  through  the  enemy's  line  and  put  the  Allies  to 
lliglit.     War  was  terribly  simi)le  with  Napoleon. 

After  thi'  battle  was  won  and  finished,  a  Prussian  cavalry 
brigade  made  a  spurt  that  surprised  and  broke  up  the  Em- 
peror's own  escort.  Tn  the  confusion  and  the  darkness,  he 
\\as  separated  even  from  his  staff,  and  after  the  flurry  was 


THE  RlSIXr;  OF  THE   PEOPLES 


367 


o'lT  hail  to  gallop  about  to  tiiid  his  aitk's.  lie  liad  already 
bt<..iii  to  display  that  hcodh'ssiicss  of  jxtII  which  charactcrisfd 
i„  hist  cainpai^'iis.  whrni,  sefiuins,'  to  ehalleii5j;o  tho  tickle  jiod- 
(Ifss  tn  do  her  worst,  his  jzrey  coat  was  carelessly  o^'ered  in 
urarlv  every  eiisapeineiit  as  a  tar-ret  for  the  slink's  and  arrows 
that  ()Utra;j:cous  fortune  was  raining  upon  his  enii)ire.  Ilis 
suite  often  could  not  avoid  the  risks  he  ran.  and  Hessieres, 
commander  of  tlie  Guard,  was  killed  on  the  eve  of  the  tight 
at  i-iitzeii,  the  sci'ond  marshal  of  the  Empire  to  fall,  Lannes 
having'  heen  the  tirst. 

As  the  Hattle  of  Liitzen  was  fought  near  the  last  battle 
rrrouiul  of  Gustavus  Adoli)hus,  so  the  Battle  of  Bautzen  was 
wa'-'ed  three  weeks  afterward  close  by  a  tield  already  made 
iiiiniorat)U  by  Frederick  the  Great.  In  its  gentle  descent 
fniiii  the  mountainous  frontier  of  Bohemia,  through  the  fa- 
mous Spreewald  and  on  to  Berlin,  the  River  Spree  washes 
no  walls  more  pictures(iU"  than  those  of  the  little  city  of 
Haut/en.  whose  quaint  mediswal  towers  stood  witness  to  the 
deadly  Lrrapple  of  more  than  200,000  men  as  they  swirled  for 
two  (iays  ai)0Ut  the  hillocks  that  rise  from  the  countryside. 

Ill  the  titrliting  on  the  tirst  day.  Napoleon  drove  the  Czar 
an.l  tl'e  Allies  out  of  the  town,  and  that  night  the  camp  fires 
of  ilis  army  formed  a  flaming  line  nine  miles  long.  At  live 
ill  the  morning  of  the  second  day,  he  was  in  the  saddle  and 
riiiiiiu'  among  his  troops,  and  at  three  he  announced  to  them 
tliat  tlie  hattle  was  won.  The  chimes  were  sounding  live  in 
th.>  he]  fry  of  the  cathedral  of  Bautzen,  where  for  nearly 
:!iHi  years  now  Catholics  and  Protestants  hav(>  usfd  the  same 
altar,  when  the  Czar  ordered  the  defeated  army  of  the  alliance 
to  retreat  through  the  Silesian  gorges. 

Til.  losses  of  both  sides  together  aggregated  not  far  from 
n'.i'i'ii.  Xajioleon  had  won  another  victory  but  it  was  as 
ro-ily  and  bootless  as  that  of  Liitzen.  For  through  a  misuTi- 
.i'lstaiulintr  of  orders  on  the  i)art  of  Ney,  the  Russians  antl 
rnissiatis,  who  could  and  should  have  been  cut  otf  and 
<!!!;!<!!. m|.  made  good  their  escape,  leaving  not  a  button  or  a 
!;aii  Hi  the  liands  of  the  victor. 
Tl  .    P.iiiperor  hastened  after  the  f1e(Mn<r  Allies  the  next  day 


m 


368 


\:s   TllK   FOOTSTKl'S  OF  NAP()L!:()N 


in  an  cfTort  to  retrieve  the  mistake  and  destrnv  tlie  retreatiiiL* 
army.  While  lie  was  in  hot  piirsiiit.  a  Russian  ^uii  was 
train"il  uimn  him  and  a  hall  hissed  in  his  ear  as  it  toi'e  past 
him  to  lay  U)w  Dnroe,  the  errand  marslial  of  the  pahiee,  who 
was  ridinir  a   few  yards  liehind   him. 

Xapoleon  turned  lo  see  his  devoted  servitor  writhinir  in 
pain  from  a  mortal  and  hideous  wound.  The  order  was  Lrivcn 
to  cease  liiinu,  and  llie  Emperor,  returning'  to  his  eamp.  seatcii 
himself  in  tiie  midst  of  the  (inard  whei'e  he  surrendered  to  his 
emotions  of  irrief  over  the  h>ss  of  an  inseparal)U'  eompaiiioii 
in  ail  the  eampaii,'ns  of  tlie  Empire.  .\o  other  man  hut  Her- 
thier  had  been  so  elosely  associated  with  Inm,  and  l^erthicr 
sometimes  ((uarrelled  v.ith  him.  l^ut  Duroe.  he  "  ed  to  say, 
'"loves  me  as  a  doi;  loves  his  master."  .\nd  faittiiul  even  in 
the  fxrave,  he  lies  at  the  gate  of  !n.s  master's  tomb  ir  the  In- 
valides. 

When  Xapoleon  resumed  the  chase  in  the  morning  the  Rus- 
sians and  Prussians  eontiinied  to  tlee  before  him  and  to  quar- 
rel among  themselves.  lie  liad  been  in  the  field  only  five 
weeks  and  ha<l  won  two  great  battles,  swept  hack  the  enemy 
from  the  Saale  to  the  ()d(>r.  a  distance  of  more  than 
2(10  nnles,  I'lid  filled  the  counsels  of  the  Allies  with  dis- 
sension. 

Although  ho  had  200,000  men  at  his  command  against  not 
more  than  1:5(1,000,  still  without  horses  for  his  cavalry,  lu^ 
(h'spiured  of  ovcrwhentung  this  smaller  force.  lie  had  fminil 
it  harder  to  get  horses  than  m(>n — or  boys.  lie  was  read.v. 
therefore,  to  welcome  a  pause  in  the  campaign.  .Moreover,  he 
was  fast  driving  his  foes  upon  the  Austrian  frontier  and  into 
the  arms  of  his  father-indaw.  who,  he  feared,  thus  would  b<' 
drawn  into  the  alliance  against  him. 

In  the  presence  of  that  delicate  situation  he  did  a  thing 
alien  thitherto  to  Napoleonic  warfare — he  dropped  his  hands 
and  stopped  fighting.  .Xccey^tiinr  the  mediation  of  Austria, 
lie  entircii  into  an  armistice  for  two  and  a  half  months  with 
the  Czar  and  the  King  of  Prussia,  a  truce  that  was  to  iti'ove 
fatal  to  his  cause. 


CTTAPTETl  XLIII 


THE  BATTLK  OF  TllH  NATIONS 


isi:i     .\(;k    v:i-lt 


N 


Al'OLEON,  the  ("zar  ami  tlii'  Kinj;  o 


f  Prussia  callea  the 


tiuct',  only 


f„r  tlie  i)Ui'i)ose  of  rfsiimiii^'  llu'  stni'imu 


\\  1 


th  hravicr  fork's. 


Althou'-'h  a  \wnrv  eons^m'ss 


was 


not  the  olMcct  of  the  ariuis- 


to  iisM'iuble  at  Praj,nie,  i)eaee  was 

:iiM'  (111  cither  side.  n  .  ^,.A 

N.nol.on  needed  horses  and  his  allied  toes  equally  needed 
-u,;„a  ,  ,vinf..ree.nents.  Above  all.  both  si<ies  wished  to  enter 
;,r,....otiati..ns  with  Austria,  which  had  adopted  a  poUey 
nf  armed  neutrality.  n„r>a 

Th,.  matrimonial  alliance  of  the  Ronapartes  and    he  llaps- 
bun's  was  cast   in  the   seale  and   wei-hed  when   Mettern.eh 
„a,m.  to  l)res,len  to  hold  an  interview  that  has  hennue  his- 
toric.    Napoleon  had  taken  up  his  resi.leiiee  m  tne  Mareo  im 
;da.e,  then  a  beautiful  villa  in  the  suburbs  of  Dresden,  hut 
;ow  converted   and   enlar.-ed   into  a   ..^roat  hospital.     In  the 
Ion-.'.  sloPv  corridors  and  spacious  salons,  where  the  unperial 
Porsican  difTus..d  his  favourite  perfume  ot  eau  de  colopne.  the 
air  is  heavv  to-day  with  the  pun-ent  odour  of  disinfectants. 
Th..  walls,  which  now  e.'ho  the  plaintive  murmurs  of  the  sut- 
f.ri.iir.  once  resounded  with  the  voices  of  marshals  and  cour- 
tiers and  of  the  celebrated  actors  of  the  (  omedie  ^  >'ancaise 
uho  came  on  from  Paris  to  amuse  the  Emperor  in  the  lull  ot 

""on'e'room  onlv  in  all  the  palace  hospital  r.  >»ains  as  it  was 
h  has  been  preserved  ui  memory  of  the  .lay  when    w.th.n  its 
,,r.ciiu.ts.  a  micjhty  empire  tossed  in  its  crisis,  while  N^I-' ;'on 
v,,v.tl..d  with  Metlernich  in  a  vain  etlort  to  Keep  Austria  fiom 

tiikiii-  up  arms  a^'ainst  him. 

369 


.'{70 


IN  THE  FOOT^^TKPS  OF  XAPOLEOX 


For  mnr  hours  tliry  -rapplod  and  stnifrplod  in  that  room 
wh..n.  th,.  Kn,,,..ror  ...xHai.nod,  '"Ah.  Mrtwrmchl     How  murh 
has  Ln-hmd  ^nv,.,,  you  to  play  this  jK.rt  a-ainst  mc""     The 
sam..  dra^rons  still  .ontort  th^nisHvos  on  the  inlaid  floor-  the 
sani.>  d..sk  .-ontuiu.  s  to  stand  in  the  corner,  and  tlie  ^vin,io^^^ 
look  out  u]M,n  th..  lowntains  in  th..  same  j.ark,  where  tlie  Kin- 
o    Saxony  an.i  the  imperial  di-nitaries  anxiousiv  waited  for 
tlie   nioi.ientous   de.-ision.    but    wh.re   in    this   tiin.-   the   con- 
yaleseent   pat...nts  take  the  healin-  air.     And  hold!     Is  not 
'at  the  veritable  ,h,or  knob,  whieh  Xapoleon  ^^•ipped  at  dusk,' 
\M'.'n  tlie  Ion-  interview  was  at  an  end  an.l  when  the  depart- 
inir  .Metterni,.h.  as  his  niemoirs   uoul.l   have  us  believe,  i.m- 
Mouneed  the  doom  of  the  K.npir,.:     '•  Vou  are  a  ruined  iL, 
Mre.      1   had  a  j.ivsentiment  of  it  when  I  eame  here;  now  I 
am  sure  of  it ! 

:\L>tt,.rnieli  offered  him  peace  if  lie  would  onlv  content  him- 
.sell  with  trance,  iVl^Mum,  llulland,  and  Italv,  and  the  Em- 
I-crors  counsellors  implo.vd  him  to  accept  those  apparcntlv 
lilxTal  terms,  whieh  would  have  left  him  a  far  wider  do^ 
ininion  than  any  other  French  monarch  over  had  possessed 
Already  be  had  lost  Spain,  and  .^ven  while  he  was  at  Dresden. 
he  receive,!  the  news  of  tlu>  flif^ht  of  Joseph  Bonaparte  from 
that  country.  Jerome  IJonaparte's  kin^'doni  of  Westphalia 
Mas  last  being  engulfed  in  the  tide  of  (ierman  patriotism,  and 
Louis  had  thrown  away  his  crown  of  Holland.  Furth.^rniore, 
the  vassal  states  in  the  Confederation  of  the  Rhine  were  abau- 
doniiig  Napoleon  day  liy  dav. 

Metterni.di's  libenility,  however,  was  somewhat  illusorv.  for 
both  Slues  really  were  bent  on  lighting  to  a  finish.  As  ab 
ways.  England  was  the  barkl.one  and  the  pur.se  pocket  of  the 
alliance.  She  did  not  wish  to  make  peace  until  France  was 
shut  up  within  the  boiuuiaries  that  coniiiied  her  in  the  igno- 
minious days  of  Louis  XV.  In  t^^enty  years  of  nearlv  con- 
tinuous warfare.  England  had  bcu  Xapoleon  "s  most  constant 
toe  'iet  he  had  not  seen  an  En-lish  .soldier.  The  British 
contingent  in  Spain  undei  Wellington  ha<l  brouuht  confu.sion 
ui'on  bi.s  marshals,  but  England  had  fought  tiie  master  him- 
self   with    gold    rather   than   lead.     British    agents   were  in 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  NATIONS 


:ni 


every  mmp  of  the  Allit's,  and  were  the  paymasters  of  the 
allifd  sovcrei^'us.  . 

Niipoleuii  mad.'  a  pn'tence  of  yidduit,'  almost  ovorytliuig. 
l,it  he  was  still  insisting'  on  kcrpiiii.'  llainlmrs.',  Brfiiu'ii  and 
,,,„.  „r  1W(.  otliei-  dots  on  the  map  of  <  imiiany,  when  the  bells 
„l'  l'i;i'4iie  struek  the  midin-jht  liour  on  the  loth  of  An-xust. 
liistaiiily  honliivs  Hanied  up  from  tlic  hilltops  elear  to  the 
Silrsiaii"  frontier,  as  a  si^'nal  tiiat  the  aniiistic'  was  over. 

Th,-  iiur.'  of  ten  Wffks  had  lieen  far  more  profitable  to  tlie 
Alli>'s  than  to  Xapoh'on.  Not  only  liad  Austria  b.en  drawn 
totJK'ir  sidr,  liut  I'.crnadotte,  Crown  Prinee  of  Sweden,  with 
■i  small  rontimreiit  of  Swedes  ^'enerously  subsidised  by  En-;- 
land.  aUo  hatl  I'ome  to  Join  in  tiie  attack  upon  the  tricolour 
tla!.','h(iicath  wiiose  favouriiiir  folds  he  had  risen  from  the 
[.(•asaiitrs  to  royalty.  Aloi'covcr.  the  Russians  and  Prussians 
tlh'iiisrhvs  had  hrou^'ht  up  two  new  men  for  every  recruit 
that  Napoleon  had  lieen  able  to  call  to  his  standard.  .Xptainst 
his  :!r>tt.(iO(l  trooi)s  and  1:200  Runs  at  the  reopening'  of  the  war, 
th..  Allies  had  no  less  than  a  fidl  half  million  actually  in  the 
tiflil  with  1400  cannon,  and  they  had  also  enormous  reserves. 
Thf  tetal  of  all  Napoleon's  forces  everywhere  was  less  than 
liuiHMin.  nearly  ISO.OOO  of  whom  were  wastiufx  themselves  in 
Siiain  and  Italy  and  in  ({erman  fortresses,  while  his  foes  had 
luorc  than  one  iiullion  men  enrolled  beneath  their  banners. 

Cniiiiclence  reiLMied  in  the  allied  headquarters,  where, 
aroiinil  the  aven^dn-,'  Czar,  a  motley  group  had  been  drawn 
to-vth.r  from  the  ends  of  the  earth  with  no  other  motive  in 
I'Oimiieii  than  their  envy  or  hatred  of  the  colossus,  who  had  so 
Inii^'  hrstrode  the  narrow  world.  There  was  Frederick  Wil- 
liam of  Prussia,  who  saw  at  last  his  chance  to  break  Ins  chauis 
ami  rcven<:e  himself  for  Jena  and  Tilsit.  There  were  Eng- 
lish representativi's,  who  had  camped  on  Nai)oleon's  Mail  for 
twiuty  years,  and  amoni.'  them  was  Col.  Hudson  Lowe, 
ivaiiy  to  hind  the  fallen  giant  and  drag  him  to  his  rock  of 
captivity. 

Irreroiieilahle  einiL'res.  whom  the  usurper  in  his  glory  had 
l"vii  inial)le  to  lure  from  their  Hourl)on  allegiance,  were  gath- 
'  lid  like  huntsmen  when  the  game  is  run  to  cover.     One  of 


.4 1 

i 


M2 


IN  TllK   K(M»TSTi;rs  (»F  NAP0M:()N 


Ilicni  w.'is  his  old  seat  mate  in  tlio  military  school  of  Paris, 
wlicre  tlirt'f  hoys  sat  in  a  row — I'hrlippoaux,  Picot  dv  l'ofi"i(luo, 
and  .\a|iol('oii  lioiiaparte — and  the  iirst  nainctl  and  the  last 
kirkfd  at  cai'li  other  i)('liind  tlu'  desk  until  the  second,  uiiosat 
Ix'twt'fii,  had  to  Miovt'  his  woundt'd  li'<;s  from  the  lirinu'  liiic 
Phrlipi)faiix  settled  his  score  at  the  ^ate  of  Acre,  wliere  he 
mounted  the  fjuns  on  the  wall  for  the  Turks  and  stopped  hits 
schoolroom  enemy  in  his  march  to  win  an  em|)ire  in  the  east. 
Now  Picot  was  on  the  statV  of  the  Austrian  commander.  I'rince 
Schwarzeiitu'r^',  where,  after  twenty-tive  years,  he  was  foiuily 
hopiujx  to  avenm'  his  shins. 

The  ul)i(|uitous  Po/zi  di  lior^Jfo,  that  ("orsiean  Nemesis,  was 
there  of  course,  pantini:  with  an  unslaked  thirst  for  reveiiLrc, 
and  ea^'er  to  carry  to  the  hitter  end  a  neiirhbourhood  (piarrcl 
be<;un  in  the  streets  ol'  Ajaccio.  "Napoleon  needed  only  one 
nuin  to  have  become  the  master  of  the  world  and  1  am  that 
man."     Such  was  Pozzo's  boast  in  all  the  after  years. 

By  the  side  of  that  relentless  vendetti.st  was  a  man  whose 
hate  was  youn<rer  liut  no  smaller.  This  was  Morcau,  the  victor 
in  the  Battle  of  llohenlinden.  .Moreau's  wife  and  mother-in- 
law  beinu  from  .Martinique,  had  rebelled  against  the  exaltation 
of  their  sist  ^r  islander,  Josephine,  and  estranged  the  gei.eral 
from  Nai)oleon,  who  banished  him  to  America  at  the  time  of 
the  Boin-iton  plot  and  the  shooting  of  the  Duke  d'Enghien. 
There  is  a  tradition  that  President  Madison  ofi'ered  the  refugee 
the  command  of  the  American  army  in  the  War  of  1S12. 
After  an  exile  of  more  than  eight  years  ou  the  banks  of  the 
Delaware,  he  was  tempted  by  an  emissary  of  the  Czar  to  re- 
turn to  Europe,  and  join  in  bringing  down  the  eagle. 

The  Czar  had  drawn  one  man  to  his  side  out  of  the  very 
eamp  of  Xajioleon.  That  was  General  Jomini.  the  Swiss 
banker  who  had  divined  and  published  the  wizard's  tricks  of 
military  magic  but  had  grown  dissatisfied  with  his  rewards  as 
a  member  of  Marshal  Ney's  staff  and  had  changed  flags  in  the 
course  of  the  armistice. 

One  alone  in  the  crowd  at  the  allied  headquarters  could 
not  frankly  siiare  the  general  re.joicing  over  the  prospect  ot 


THE  BATTI.K  OF  TIIK  NATIONS 


373 


ini;il)lr  to  fortrct  that  his  dau'^'litcr  was  .ittiiit,'  upon  it  and  Ills 
L'lMinls.iii  was  playiiii,'  about  its  strps.  A  fatiifp's  love  and  a 
nidiiaicirs  amiiition  wciv  tt-arin^'  tiic  Aiistfiaii  Mmpiror's 
.•motions  hctwccti  them  as  lie  moved  aiiion^'  tlic  (■(Mitidciit  plot- 
tns  lor  the  ovfi'tlii'ow  ol'  his  son-iiidaw.  Mr  drew  i)acii  from 
th.  Czar's  tal)h'  when  he  saw  Jomini  seated  at  it.  "I  very 
uvll  iimlerstand  that  it  is  necessary  to  avail  ourselves  of  spies 
and  tniitors,  hut  is  it  necessary  to  break  bread  witli  them?" 
Fraiiris  imiuired. 

Ainonir  all  the  cooks  at  tlie  allied  liendquarters,  thero  was 
tin  rhrt".  The  soverei<_'ns  were  too  jealous  ajid  suspicious 
In  r\i,)osi'  one  of  tliemsclvcs  to  he  coriuiuiiider-iu-chier,  and 
rhwv  was  no  fr<Mieral  of  the  first  rank  amon<,'  the  Russians, 
Prussians  and  Austrians.  Besides,  the  oil  and  water  of  Slav 
ami  Tniton  persistently  r(^fused  to  mix. 

Tlir  jrrcatest  s.'eneral  of  modern  times,  thoroforo,  must  be 
l":it>n  hy  an  army  without  a  general,  and  the  allied  forces 
uvrr.  divided  into  throe  armies  under  indepen<lent  com- 
nuinili  rs.  There  was,  however,  a  common  plan  of  cami)aifin, 
fliirtly  the  work  of  Moreau.  Its  salient  principle  was  to  keep 
"111  of  Napoleon's  way  and  whip  his  marsiials. 

Tlu.  Kiiiperor,  never  suspecting^  the  scheme  to  refuse  him  a 
hatilr,  made  a  lunge  at  Bliicher  on  his  front  as  soon  as  the 
war  \v,is  on  a!,'ain.  The  old  Prussian  only  drew  back  into  the 
Sil.si;,,,  eorges,  whereupon  the  allied  sovereigns  themselves 
!"-'.in  to  move  up  into  Saxony.  This  menace  behind  him 
oMiL'  !  Napoleon  to  hasten  hack  to  Dresden,  whither  he  flew 
«i'l:  rnily  Napoleonic  swiftness,  marching  the  Guard  through 
l-ii  miles  of  mud  in  four  days. 

Thr  sov.'reigns  had  l()0,Oo6  men  in  hand  when  they  arrived 
on  th..  heiurhts  of  Dresd.'n.  Although  they  knew  tliat  Xapo- 
I'Oii  was  absent  and  that  the  defences  were  manned  by  hardlv 
2'M)0(l  men,  they  flinched  from  the  attack  and  decided  to 
wait  for  the  remaining  half  of  their  army  to  come  up. 
\\hili.  they  wait.'d,  tlie  Emperor  raced  into  the  city  and  took 
-IS  stand  at  the  head  of  tlie  bridge  over  the  Elbe  to  stir  his 
fiffd  and  sleepy  men  when  they  crossed  the  river.     As  th(  ir 

'•'i>  "T      \he  I'Emperenr"  mounted  ni  wav-s  to  the  hills 


-I 


;{74  I\  TIIK   I''()()TSTi:i'S  ()|.-  NAI"»IJ:(»\ 

'"■'"''I'l'll''    '<'\\'l,     the    r;|i,i|,    ,,|'    tlir     Allirs    \\ii>    lil|r,|     will,    .[j,,. 

may.     'I'liry    knew    iu>\v    tliat    tliry    haii    llir    linn    ill    front  yf 
tlicin. 

Xiipolconic  hiittl.'lifl.ls  L'cnrrally  aiv  fair  to  s.v.  X.m,.  is 
iainT  than  the  lirM  ui  Drrs.lm,  iny  it  is  all  hut  ovrrL'fowii 
to-day  with  tlir  strrrts  and  liunirs  and  lawns  of  that  fair.'st 
of  llir  fair  ainnnir  tlir  lirautifid  citi.'s  of  (;<.rrnany.  In  the 
battle  tiinr,  fh,.  Saxon  caintal  was  not  tlir  iiii|M)si"tiir  <'ify  of 
iiioff  than  half  a  ttiiliion  jiropl,.  that  it  is  to-dav.  hut  om'Iv  a 
hi-  town  of  :i(MHi(l.  The  villa-r  lanrs  and  p,  asant  tichis!  in 
which  the  arniirs  of  all  the  nations  fouL'ht  for  two  days.  li;i\v 
ii'wvn  way  to  the  hroad  thorouL'hfarrs  and  handsome"  iv^i- 
driiees  of  the  moih^rn  eity.  The-  villas  and  pensions  ami 
schools  of  the  An,i,'l()-.\nierieaM  colony  to-day  are  set  alnuKt 
111  the  centre  of  the  l)atllc  '.'round,  where  the  Cossack  spears 
and  tiu;  French  lances  clashed  in  furious  combat,  while  thr 
trees  Were  shattered  and  the  sward  was  crimson.'d  in  tliiit 
lovely  old  i)ai'k,  the  (Jrosser  (Jarteii. 

Xajwleon's  battle  line  is  now  lost  in  the  expanded  Imsinoss 

section,  where  the  clamour  of  arms  has  1 n  succeeded  hv  tli.' 

no  less  clamorous  street  cars  and  automohih's.  The'  iv,i 
tide  tlowed  almost  to  the  walls  of  the  roval  palace,  where  tho 
Kini.eror  was  a  ^nie.st  of  i]w  Kintr  and  where  in  thest  davs  the 
tourists  liiiLrer  in  the  apartments  he  occupied. 

The  battle  lirok.-  at  four  in  the  afternoon,  wlieii  tlio 
soverei<j:ns  from  their  hill  Jmrled  their  luissians.  Pru.Miar.:; 
anil  Austrians  upon  the  redoui)ts  of  the  French.  The  stnnn 
of  tire  ilid  not  subside  until  niidniu'ht.  But  that  first  dav  was 
cnly  a  draw. 

As  early  as  six  the  next  mornin<r.  Napoleon  was  out  on 
the  firing'  line  ai:ain.  He  stood  in  his  tent  door  before  a  Ihil'o 
bonfire  while  he  dried  his  clothes  nhich  were  soakirif?  with  tlu' 
ram  that  descended  in  tioods.  After  the  miuirled  storms  of 
tire  and  water  had  b(>aten  upon  the  two  armies  for  hours,  lie 
delivered  the  decisive  sti'oke  in  the  afternoon,  when  he  sent 
:Murat  and  2.").(l(i()  men  with  seventy-live  ^'uns  to  hurl  theui- 
selves  lli.oii  the  hd't  flank  of  the  enemy.  The  horsemen  slaslici 
tli.ir  vw.y   wiii,   lance  and  sword   and   rotie  down  the  allinl 


THK  I'.ATTLK  OF  TIIK  NATION'S^ 


■>io 


infantry,  wlios.'   Iliiil locks  wtTf  so 
The  ciitirc  \Miii;  wns  s\\v\>\  ;iuay  aiu 


wrt    they    ('(iiilil    not    tiro. 
I  l(i,(i(M)  ol'  till'  tof  s'ackcil 


rir  useless  \viiii>()iis  and  siirrciKlfrcd. 


itlOIl 


Tliiit  was  tlh'  tiiii^hinu  tn<f\y  wlii'li  spn-atl  coiisteniatioi 
tliroiii:li  tiir  ranks  ol  the  Alli.s  ;,iiil  won  the  battle.  In  the 
two  ila\s  of  t'lLditiiiL'  the  sov.'reitrns  had  lost  in.dOi)  men  killed 
ami  wounded  and  •JD.UUU  taken  |)risoneis,  while  Napoleon's  loss 
ivas  1(1.11(1(1. 

Til.  :dlird  army,  liowever.  was  otdy  lieaten:  it  was  not 
liiokeii.  .\iid  a  hattle  is  not  fou'^'ht  to  conquer  a  few  aeres  of 
L'roiuid  liul  to  eoniiuer  an  army. 

.\1,;.'  the  virtue  of  Dresden,  tired,  wet,  and  hedrairu'led. 
flipped  lo  dry  and  rest  himself  rather  than  complete  his  vie- 
tni'v.  With  his  coekeil  hat  dissolved  into  a  shaix'less  mass  ami 
haiiL'iii'-'  over  liis  ears,  he  motnited  his  horse  at  four  o'clock 
ami  trotted  into  the  town.  'I'he  water  drii)|>ed  from  the 
skirts  and  sleeves  of  his  -rrey  coat  as  he  entered  Hie  ])alacc. 
wlicrc  the  Kinir  of  Saxony  embraced  him  and  coni^'ratulated 
hill!  on  oil''  of  the  most  notable  suciesses  of  his  eareiT.  He 
had  lii'oUL'ht  up  lld.OiiO  almost  exhausted  troops,  cross.'d  a 
rivrr  in  the  face  of  ISO.OOO  enemies  and  put  them  to  tli'iht. 

Willi. ■  he  slept,  the  Allies  made  ^'ood  their  escape.  The 
riiiiilil.'  of  their  waj^'ons  on  retreat  was  heard  through  the 
iii'^lit.  and  when,  at  dawn,  he  rode  to  the  hill  where  the 
-  V.  rriuMis  hail  stood  the  day  before,  their  hosts  liad  vanished 
luuiifd  the  Unhcmian  mountains.  Only  a  doi:  ba(i  been  left 
t)rliiii,|.  and  his  collar,  inscribed  "I  am  Ceiieral  Moreau's 
il'.-."  is  ju'cserved  amouf;  the  keepsakes  of  Dresden. 

Napoleon  himself  haci  all  but  pointed  the  <:un  that  brought 
.iuuii  the  dot;'s  master.  When,  in  the  midst  of  th.  hattle.  ho 
'i;id  <.en  a  party  of  iiorseineu  on  the  hill,  he  renmrked.  "There 
must  he  sonic  little  peuerals  there,"  aiul  he  ordered  his  battery 
trttirc  upnti  them.  Had  he  been  fai-injr  his  old  enemy  on  the 
'ill.  llni'_'  ^'lound,  he  could  not  have  drawn  a  deadliei  nim  than 
the  hattery  drew  on  .Mo'.eau.  who  was  with  the  C/ar  in  the 
"iii'v  of  the  <rroup.     The  returned  exile  was  even  then  ^'ivinpr 

.',!■  xaiidcr  some  military  advice,  when  the  shot  struck  him  and 

blattered  lioth  kjiS. 


•'iTf)  l\   YIN-:   K(»(»'|'STi;i'S  ol'"  \.\!'()Li:()N 

I  I'f   uiiiiihIiiI   u-iMiiiiil    ill  ;i   jiiltinf,'  vrliiilc   liofi.   ujtli   ,.;ilm 

fortlllld.'   the  jiL'niiy   dt'    llic    [•(  ll'ijll.   iiinl    |'ri>|str.|    until    Ihr  r||,l 

111  (Ifl)iitiiivr  tlir  fiitmc  iiMirsr  (if  III.    .aiiiiiiii^'ii.      Only  the  ilny 

iK't'orc   ilf  ilircl,    111'    \M«,t,.    til   his   Wlf.    ;        '  '  .\  1    fhr    j'.ilttli'   of    Dl'is- 

(ii'ii.   tlici'''  ila.\s  auo.    I    hail   liotli   ir^'s  rarrir-l  nil'  \,\  a  faiuioii 
liiill.      That    sroiiiiilril    l'.niia|iaiti'    is   always    Inrtuiiati'." 

Sriiloiii  (lots  a  suhliir  who  dirs  in  arms  a'_Miiist  his  thiLr  aiiii 
his  r'Miiiii'y  rrrri\r  ;;  iiiuii uiiiriit .  Not  iiiilv  was  Morcau's 
IukIv  siiit  to  I'lti'iiirrail  liy  till'  Czar's  oniiTs  aiui  hurird  with 
hoiK.iirs  ill  till-  liuiiiaii  ('alholif  churrli  at  tin-  Kiissiaii  i'ai)ital. 
hut  liis  iiiriiKUA  was  liuiiourcd  also  on  tln'  spot  '.vhiTc  lie 
fill. 

'i"hi'-'  is  a  iciiot:i|.li  on  tli-  hill  whrrc  he  stood  hrsiilr  AliX- 
aiiiirr.    wlirii   mil'  o!'    Naiiolron 's  l'iiiiiu'I's  liroiiixht   him  <1ihmi. 

»»vir  it  thr  i,'r,  ni  ivy  .  limhs  to  d I'ati'  thr  srulpiurnl  lulinrt 

and  s;ihri'  mi  thf  top.  Thri'i-  oaic-'  mount  t.Miaid  ahout  tlu' 
iiici'.orial  stiiiii'  and  all  around  an  oat  held  smiles  aliow  tin' 
h:itth'  lurroui  d  t,'roiind.  Ai-ross  Mor.  aiistrassf  and  down  in 
till'  valley,  the  eahhaui^  in  the  little  gardens  of  the  city  jionr 
triow  0(1  the  trraves  of  the  fallen  foeinei..  Seemin<,'ly  "lianlly 
more  than  a  mile  a\*ay,  the  castle  tower  and  the  eliurcli  hdfiy 
of  the  Kill'.;  >  palace  hy  the  Kllie  r'se  in  the  midst  of  the  city, 
vhose  murmur  ascends  to-day  even  as  the  cheers  for  Nnpo 
Icon  rolled  up  The  heiLdit  on  an  Auyrust  morninj,'  and  spitad 
desp.air  amciii;  the  Allies. 

The  victory  of  Dresden  was  set  at  nauL'ht  in  the  first  nmiitli 
of  the  new  canipaijrn.  Napoleon's  lieutena.its  lost  ir.o.iliV) 
men  and  300  {,nins,  while  50.0(Hi  siek  and  wounded  crow.li d  iiis 
hospitals.  Tliose  heavv  losres  could  he  re[)aired  only  l)y  Inr 
rowini:  from  th"  fului'e.  and  the  Knipcror  called  to  his  colours 
IGO.OOU  l)oys,  who  were  not  due  to  ^rive  military  service  until 
1815. 

While  !ie  continued  week  after  week  to  elin<i  to  the  worth- 
less ground  he  had  won  at  Dresden,  the  three  allied  armies 
moved  to  unite  hehird  him  in  the  neiprhhourhood  of  Lcijisiiv 
Thither  at  last  he  betook  himself  in  the  confidence  that  he 
eould  whip  them  one  hy  one  as  tliev  came  ui). 

Xiv    v.  *;o   i:w    iL''ii;-;L'r    i.'iiwijijiiii;    •  JaiTii-iieiii.^.       ifi'i    tiur   vOriTrarj*. 


TIIK   I'.ATTLi:  (»K  TIIK   NATIONS 


377 


|„.  was  a.MTi.tni-  tin    rhni,v  of  Wu-  .•tinny.      Ilavm-   morally 
„lant.-d  l>ii"-'lf  n.i  ;i   n^.^u.^.•.  ti,.  .Im.al  uf  ih.  Crn.an   ik'O- 

,,|,.    to    ^'OVtTIl     Ih.llisrlvrs,     lir     llirVltaM.N      I^a^M,!     o\rV     t.)    tllC 

,l,-l'.'iisivf  ill  Ins  military  Dp.ratiniis. 

It  is  an  ini-rrsliii^'  ruimi.l.nrr  that  tli-'  two  L'lvat  hattlrs  of 
tlic  war  lit"  1^1:!  w''''  I'-uu'lit  umi.i-  tlir  \\:ills  of  tlir  tu(.  uMvat 
.■itu.s  of  Saxoiiv.  Not  that  .nhrr  was  miirli  of  a  uty  in  tli." 
l,,ttU-    v»-ar.    lor     l,.ipsir     w.Hi     >N    n.arl.s     ti.>..,(Hn    i^oini- 

lation   now,    uas    tli- ily    su.l,    a    town    as    i)ivs,i,n.      Its 

.lii.lKKi  pcoiilc  \^ryr  IokIiII.mI  wilhiii  an  ol<l  nn'ir.l.n-  wall, 
hiinily  iiioiv  than  tu.i  mil^s  roinul,  wlini  for  tlir.^r  .la.vs  m 
iiiiil-Ut-tolMr,  "Ji""*  rannoii  roar-.l  ami  half  a  m.  ion  nifH 
foii'-lit   thr   Uatllr   of   Ihr   Naliuiis  at    its  -al.s 

Oil  a  hill  at  thr  vcrv  .'.l-r  of  thf  iwrnii.'tli  .vnlury  l-npsic, 
oiilv  a  short  .'ar  ri.ir  from  thr  rity  .Tutiv.  risrs  a  hm,'r  moun- 
tain of  rnnrrrtr,  a  (iriiuaii  pyrami.l,  whirh  in  l''--!-  <>"  t'i<' 
<TiitiMiary  of  tli.-  moninitons  striii,'L'lr.  tho  KaiNcr  William  11, 
emit  fjraii.lM.n  of  Kin-  i-'ivdrrirU  William,  .hMiratr.l  m  lli-- 
pn-sm'.-  of  thr  rrprrsriitativrs  of  thr  (Irrman  states  an.!  ot 
Austria,  Russia  ami  Swrdm. 

Althou^'h   thr   I)-,, His  motto,  "•iod  with    I's."   ii.  l-'ttrrs  si.x 
f.Tt  hi"lK  is  rarvril  al.ovc  thr  door,  this  nirinorial  of  Naiio- 
l..on's  overthrow    in    (i-nnany.    with    its   smlpturrd    moh   ot' 
pa-aii  dritirs.   otVrrs  a   .^UL'-rstiv   contrast    to   tlir   mrmorial 
of  his  r.  imlsr   fn^ni    Russia,   thr   Churrh  of  Our  Saviour   in 
Mosrow.     And  hrr-',  too,  on  thr  l,attlrti.-ld  of  thr  nations,  thr 
Russians  hnvr  rrarr.i  a  church  in  memory  of  ihrir  drad  and 
of  thoir  vi.torv.      Hui  around  the  lofty  cuiM.la  of  thr  (i.'rman 
luoniunriit  at  Lripsic.  hroii/.rd  <,'iants  mount  ^'uanl  with  ihnr 
warcluhs,  and  a  -i-antir  rftiiry  of  thr  (irrman  Mirhad  Lrrimiy 
stands  sentinel  at  thr  portal  in  thr  midst  of  a  trrnfyiii^' irroup 
of  furies  who  hold  aloft  tlaminu'  tordirs  of  drstrurtion.  \yhilr 
within,  th'    Fatrs  trlowrr  from  the  walls  of  the  crypt-     This 
surdy  is  no  cotr  for  thr  dovr  <d'  l.race.  hut  a   massive  temple 
of  war,  the  tahrniai'le  of  the  sword  and  the  mailed  ti.st. 

That  i.'iant  <-airn  of  Oerman  patriotism  is  heaped  upon  the 
v,iv   mound    where   Napoleon   was  overwhelmed,   but   a   little 

1  .       1   J   1   1 til.,     clirnlw     llllrl 

euiUlllelUOIail\e    .SiOia     ai;n;,.-;i     :;:::;;;;:    .•.:::••::■., 


378 


IX  THE   FOOTSTKI'S  OF  XAPOLKOX 


flowers,  marks  more  {)rccisrly  the  position  of  the  man  of 
(iestiiiy  whcii  |,is  stJir  shot  across  tiu'  firiiiamnit  in  that  Ortoli.-r 
(■vel^n^'  and  vanished  h,-hin,l  tlic  hills  of  Thuriii-ia. 
On  top  of  this  h'ssrr  moMiimcnt  lii's  a  tliree-eorncr.'d  hat  cut-in 
niarhh\  whih-  a  marlih'  sword  ivsts  on  a  marhh-  pillow.  Only 
Ihrse  lines  from  Kxodus  are  chisrll,.,!  „„  tin-  faee  of  tliV 
stone : 


TIIK  LORD 

IS  A   MAX  OF  WAR 

TIIK  lA)ni) 

IS  ins  XAMI-: 


Simply  that  and  nothing'  more.  Hut  th.'  storv  is  told  pl.ninlv 
iMiou^'h  hy  the  eoeked  lial  and  the  sword,  and  tlu-  e.xultaiit 
w<,rds  spoken  hy  .Moses  when  the  Lord  east  into  th  "ed  Sea 
the  ehariots  and  host  and  ehosen  e;;i)tains  of  I'haraoli  a;id  the 
depths  had  e  ,v..r..d  them.  The  name  of  the  Corsh-an  Pharaoh 
does  not  api.ear  m  the  inseription.     It  would  he  superfluous. 

As  the  visitor  walks  around  'he  haleonv  (d'  the  <.reat  nioiiu- 
ni.'nt.  he  sees  spread  hen.'ath  his  -,,/..,  the  panorama  of  the 
entire  battlefield  of  the  nations.  As  at  Dresden,  so  at  I.eipsu' 
Xapol.'on  (.ecui.ie,'  the  town,  and  when  the  Allies  eame  to 
drive  hnii  out  of  it  they  assailed  the  eity  on  three  sides  at  onee. 
He  ninisell,  how,  vr,  emer-ed  from  the  southern  ixate  ami 
taeed  his  toes  on  the  field  about  the  monuaimt. 

The  numbers  were  fairly  even  in  that  op.-nins:  battle  hut 
tor  tin-  first  time  in  his  life.  Xapoleon  faile.l  to  win  a  fi-dit  be- 
tween e.pial  furees.  A-  ni-lit  fell  on  the  field,  and  nliilea 
pitiless  ram  beat  in  the  upturned  faces  of  the  slain  the  Fin- 
peror  sat  m  his  tent  in  the  brickyard  close  to  th.>  monuuient, 
facing'  the  tact  that  (Jermany  was  l,)st  to  him.  At  his  order, 
the  bells  of  Leipsic  had  runu-  for  his  victorv,  but  that  was  as 
sonndm-  bra^s.  His  (iennaii  allies.  ..auixht'  in  the  ti(h.  of  na- 
tionality,^ had  been  falling'  away  from  him  dav  bv  dav.  'l  l:e 
Westphalians  and  the  Sa.xons  had  been  ^'oin<r  over  to  tiie  other 


THE  I'.ATTLK  OF  TIIK  NATIONS 


;57i» 


iVil'  We 


rks.      Now  the  iSavariaiis  lia.i  heard  the  call  of  tl 


fatlierlainl  and  jniiu'd  tin'  ar:ii\-  ol'  lihcrat 
Wrll   iniLrht  the  i)alil 


KMl. 


ililcil  uarriof  m  tli 


i^'iii'    tii'spair 


f  ni'irkyai'd  crv  (nit  in 


-MVi'    me    Itack    t 


u'     old     SOldlrl'S     o 


f 


lt;iiy:"'     II,.    inidit    hctlcr  still    haw    ,rird    out   tor   tlu'   lost 

bi'Hi  ot   that  vii-torioiis  army  and  it^  i-niw.ii,...;.,,^  ,...,»..i i... 

•■l-iiiiTty!     K(iualitv!     Fi'at.'riiitN- ! 


s  coiKiUfrinir  watcliwords; 


Hi'  li!- 


iiixt  day  was  Sunday  and  as  disnud 


till'  allii'd  sovorL'ij'iis  were  I 


as  his  fortiuu 


^  and  coniljinlnf'  to  ovi-rwhci 


'■ilil     nil. 


)Ul 


f   coulil   oulv   ili-aw   111    his   wct 


)riii!,'inL;'  up  hu^'i'  rcii. !'-;■. ■(■- 
ni  him,  he  iiad  no  reserves  to 
hungry,   and   dis- 


I'lntrd  troops  .'loser  to  the  walls  of  Leipsie  in  pre!>aratioii  fo 
one  nioi'c  tlii'ow  of  the  dice. 
Mnnday  dawned  in  a  sombre  mood. 


I'Ur^t   upiiii  the  liel 


(1  where  the  ra( 


WrV 


>ut  snnii  a  lirilliaiit  sun 
t'S  and  nations  of  Europe 


'_:at:iered    to   wrest    from    the    hands   of    Napoleon   the 


'Me  of  empire.      I     en  Asia  had  been  d 


tlie   Uashkirs  of 


rawii  into  the  strife 


.^Ihel 


•la  were  there  with  their  bows  and 


al'I'nW' 


Ercih  the  Hill  of  the  Monarelis,  the  (' 


:ar,  the  Aiis- 


Eiiiperor  and  the  Prussian  Kinj;  sent  forward  an  ar 


''.I'i'il.     Formed  like  an  eiiot 


mv 


m 


()us   pair  of  open   shears. 


i-|i)se( 


ill  upon  tlio  ino.ono  troops  who  uphehl  t 


le  eilL'les 


ninee  in  liii,"s  that   fell  away  from  the  hill  of  the  moiiu- 
wher.'  Napoleon  alternately  sat  and  stooil  beside  a  ruined 


«iii'liiiill 


'ni'.'irle  to  hurl  his  armv  bark  into  tl 


day  a  storm  of  steel  and  lead  lieat  ajrainst  his  I 


■Ipsii- 


III'  breasted  the  f 


ines  in  the 
le  narrow,  tanirled  streets 


;iii!l   nit'lit  came  and  until  nearly  al 
-''!'.     His  artillery  had  tired  no  less  tl 


t\v 


urious  onslaUiTht  of  the  :}()(),()()0 

his  '  annon  balls  were 

an  220.000  rounds  in 


<i  days. 
A^  dark 


ness  stole  (      r  the  tield,  he  fell  asleeji  on  1 


IIS  cami 


in   the  awful  s      nee  that  sueeeeded  the   furv  <)<:  batt 


is  irenerals  stood   by  awaitinir  his  orders  f.n-  H 


le   111- 


in  his  bivouae  tire  and 


Wl.il,.   I 

•  vitahle  retreat,  a  stray  round  shot 

iiwakeiied   him.     For  a   moment    he   looked   alxiut   in   drowsy 

'"•^wldermeiit  and  then  pronouiieed  the  word  which  once  luui 

110  place  in  his  lexicon. 


-dbO 


IN'  THE  FOOTSTEPS  OF  XAPOLEOX 


The  only  eseapo  for  tlu'  bc-itoii  army  was  tlironirli  the  un- 
lij^'litod  streets  of  the  town,  over  two  rivers  ami  tlieiiee  hy  a 
siii-le  <'auseway  aei'oss  wide  marshy  flats.  T!iat  one  aveiiue 
to  safety  was  quickly  ci'owdeil  witli  sokliei-s,  wagroiis  and  iriuis. 
The  cavalry  rode  down  the  infantry,  and  the  woumh'd,  iyii,<r 
aiiout  the  streets  and  S(|iiares,  were  heedlessly  trampled  u|ion 
in  the  confusion  and  tiie  (hirkness.  At  daybreak,  the  Allir> 
(pencil  tiieir  eyes  on  th-  rear  of  the  retreating  army,  and  they 
r.ise  to  pursue  the  fleeing  trooi)s  through  the  gates,  while 
their  artillery  rained  th(  ir  shells  upon  the  roofs  of  Leipsie. 
^  .\a|>oleon  iiad  i)asse(l  a  night  of  horror  at  the  Hotel  de 
I'russe,  whose  doors  are  still  open.  Although  the  Czar  slept 
m  the  hotel  the  next  night,  it  is  the  room  of  the  eon(iuered, 
not  the  con(|ueror,  which  has  been  set  apart  through  the  gen- 
erations, and  the  "Xapoleon  Zimmer"  remains  to  this  day 
the  s[)ecial  boast  and  exhibit  of  the  landlord. 

It  was  about  nine  in  the  morning  when  the  Emperor  came 
out  of  the  Prusse  and  joined  in  the  retreat.  It  was  an  evt'ii 
year  that  very  morning  sinee  he  had  taken  flight  from  .Mos- 
cow. Xow  as  then  la-  had  to  light  his  wav  through  another 
mob  of  fleeing  soldiers;  but  he  whistled  h'is  war  song  as  he 
went. 

After  escaping  from  the  town,  he  eame  to  a  village  near  by 
and  lay  down  to  sleep.  He  had  passed  three  almost  slcepl.'^> 
nights.  Xow  that  the  strain  was  over,  nature  would  be  put 
off  no  longer. 

While  he  slept,  fjie  loud  report  of  an  explosion  startled  him 
It  was  the  siL'iial  that  his  catastrophe  had  received  its  corona- 
tion. 

A  French  corporal  had  been  left  in  charge  of  a  mine  uii.l.r 
the  bridu'e  over  the  Elster  river,  with  instruetions  to  destroy 
the  structure  wh,>n  his  comrades  were  all  safely  across.  Hut 
losmir  Ids  head  in  his  terror  of  some  yellinir,  "ehart'ing  Kns- 
sians,Jie  had  blown  up  the  bridge  and  left  from  Id.OOo'to  l.').- 
OIK)  French,  with  hundreds  of  cannons  and  wagons,  strandeii 
on  the  siiore.  ready  for  the  eager  hands  of  the  eaptors. 

Many  leaped  into  the  I'ivci  to  swim  their  way  to  the  other 
bank,  but  most  of  them  only  dragged  one  another  beneath  the 


Tin-:   HATTLK  OF  Till':  NATIONS 


;{M 


uiitcr. 


-Mi 


irsh.il      -Macdonald     succccdrd      in     crossiiif:,     but 


Hiiatnuski,    tii,.    l<iiin|it]v    1 


'oic 


i.'atoa  only  two  days  hrfo 
wlii-ri  the  Elstcr  is  but 
.lit  (lay  city,  one  who  st 


i>    iiad    won    a    iiiarslial' 


ff,  was  aiiioiij,'  the  di'owncd.     N 


ow, 


ji'-icc  wliere  the  I'riiicc's  buds 


:i  iiifi'r  canal  tlowiiiLT  throuLrli  the  prcs- 
tlic  iiioiiumcnt   which  iiiari<s 


;iiiil 


Wlk-w  that    the   narrow,   placid 


\'  was  recovered,  can  iiardly 
stream   could   have  been   so 
latal  a  harrier  to  the  sokiiers  of  Napoleon. 

Witii  that  disaster,  the  sum  of  the  Emperor's  losses  around 
l.'ipsie  amounted  to  not  less  than  f^O.OUO.  to<:ether  with  28 
tia-s  and  eagles  and  325  yuns.  The  allied  loss  was  not  far 
•'nun   iA},000. 

When  at  last.  Napoleon  had  put  the  Rhine  behind  him  at 
.Mayriice,  lie  had  oidy  50.000  or  (iO.OOO  men  under  arms  Of 
tlie  ivst  of  the  nearly  500,000.  whom  he  had  rallied  to  his 
standai'd  for  the  war,  perhaps  half  were  captives  or  besieged 
m  rh.ir  fortresses.  The  remainder  were  dead  of  wounds  and 
iliv.ise.  Thousands  had  perished  on  the  retreat  from  the  eold 
an^l  from  hunger  and  fever.  Tn  Russia  and  (iernianv  to- 
L'.Thcr  above  800.000  m.^n  had  been  lost  in  sixteen  months. 

Fui'  the  second  time  in  a  year  P>ance  was  disarmed. 


1" 


Ji 


riTAPTEK  XIJV 

AT  I'.AV 

AUK    14 

WlTrrOFT   mins   and   witliout   ammunition,   without 
•noiiry  and  uitlioiii  horses,  without   forts  and  with- 

'""  ""■"•  •\"l'"l''Oii,  in  thi'oi.rnin- uvrksof  till' war 
1M4  tm'n.'d  at  hny  to  far,,  a  worhl  in  arms  an.!  ,hdVnd  France 
and  his  rr,nyn  a-amst  a  mi-hty  host  of  (i.-rmans,  Kussians 
aml^  Anstnans  swarndni,'  on  the  hanks  of  the  Riiinc. 

Ffanee  lay  hleedintr,  exhaust. ■,!  aiui  despoudoiit  For 
twe„ty-two  years  she  ha.l  hrrn  -ivin-  h,.r  sons  to  war  an.l 
i^nevm-  over  hw  uinvturnin-  hrave.  sunk  to  rest  unkiieile,! 
;""1  'i>'7>'linrd  heueath  the  palm  and  the  pine,  until  tiieir  un- 
hune.l  hones  half  en  ireled  the  earth,  from  the  swa.niKS  of 
Nanto  l)onnn-o  to  the  mountains  of  Galil..,..  from  the  salt 
"munds  of  Cadiz  to  the  iiielaneholv  wastes  of  Russia  Year 
"ll'T  y,.ar  she  had  -athered  her  mari.al  hrood  and  hurled 
army  alter  army  at  the  walls  of  her  foes.  Now  when  h.-r 
own  ,ira1,.s  were  assailed,  they  wen-  without  defenders 

I  he  Kmperor  eall,.,!  upon  the  nation  to  rise  and  repel  the 
niva.ler  from  the  frontier,  whieh  no  foe  had  passed  in  tli. 
luvnty  years  su.ee  he  trained  his  eannon  on  the  Mritish  m 
"'"''■"■'"""•  *''■  '''•'"'""■  The  Fran.'e,  howev.M-.  that  had  ris.n 
m  her  wonderful  stren-rth  the  last  time  a  (.'erman  Imd  darr-l 
-TOSS  'he  Rinne  was  the  Fran.'e  of  the  Revolution,  whirl,  \,i- 
1">1''«>"  1'nns.lf  had  slain  on  the  steps  of  .St,  Roeh  ami  in  t'lr 
J>'-.i.MLvrya.  St.  ('loud.  -  \\\.  „n,st  pull  on  the  loot.s  of  17!»:!,- 
Ii''  '-lied.  Mut  the  spirit  of  -'Xi  was  dead  an<l  even  lie  could 
not  ral!  it  hai-k. 

The  nation  had  heen  iv.hm(>.l  to  one  man  and  he  alone  re- 
mained to  face  allied  Europe.     [low  he  was  overwhelmed,  it  is 


AT   UAV 


.•Wll 


easy  tiiou<_'li  to  iiiiiiiriiic.  IIow  lie  hreastcd  tlic  ti(li>  week  nfltT 
wcfk  iinil  liijit  it  hack  time  and  a^'aia  cvcf  rciiiaiiis  an  aiiiaziii',^ 
cluiptiT  in  liistiiry. 

With  the  annirs  of  thirty  nations  at  his  frontier  and  a 
iiritisli  army  uiKh'r  Wfilin^rt,,,!  actually  on  tiic  soil  (.f  vMUth- 
cin  l'"iancc,  he  found  his  treasury,  his  arsenals  and  his  har- 
r;i>'lis  empty.  All  tlu'  hundreds  of  millions  of  doi'.ars  which 
111-  hail  collected  in  triliute  fi'om  cnnquered  states  were  swal- 
lowed up  in  the  disastei's  in  Spain.  Russia  and  (lermany.  For 
he  had  supported  his  armies  almost  entirely  from  levies  on 
other  countries. 

V.I  he  had  not  spent  quite  all  he  had  taken  in.  In  the 
«]ilriii|our  of  inijiei'ial  powei'.  he  never  lost  the  homely 
virtue  of  thrift,  and  every  year  he  laid  hy  a>rainst  a  rainy 
iliiy  nearly  $.<.()()0.(l()0.  Those  saviiiL^s  from  the  annual  ap- 
prMpriation  he  hoarded  under  the  Tuilei-ies.  and  now  that  the 
rainy  day  had  come,  he  went  dowti  into  the  cellar  and  took 
tile  money  for  his  canipaicrn. 

Alas  I  lie  had  not  saved  any  of  the  liuinan  millions  whom 
the  people  had  intrusted  to  him.  Had  he  heen  as  pai-simoni- 
niis  with  hlood  as  with  j,'oId  it  would  have  served  him  in  <,'ood 
Nt'inl  now.  Almost  all  the  arni-hearinu  popidation  luid  heen 
s|iciit.  however,  and  for  tive  years  he  had  heen  ruiunntr  into 
iM>t  and  ilrawipiT  the  consci'ipts  to  his  colours  a  year  and  two 
viiirs  hefoi'e  the  appointed  time,  lie  had  heen  so  imi)rovi- 
'I'lit  as  not  to  leave  enou^'h  of  the  human  crop  for  .seed.  Foi' 
two  decades  the  most  stalwart  candidates  for  paternity  had 
licf'ii  carried  olT  to  die  in  the  wars  or  drag  themselves  home 
physical  and  moral  wrecks. 

Hard  as  it  was  to  iratlier  even  a  few  thousand  men  ?nd 
ho.vs  of  all  ages  and  all  sizes,  it  was  harder  still  to  tind  horses 
hir  them  to  ride  and  '/..od  muskets  to  put  in  their  untrained 
liainls. 

There  were  viriually  no  forts,  for  Napoleon  had  heen  th. 
(h'stroyer  not  the  huilder  of  citadels,  which   he  had  captu     d 
iJiily  to  dismantle.     He  had  comiuered   Kurope  in  open  fields 
iiiiil  uenerally  had  disdained  even  to  throw   up   hi'eastwoi-ks 
II. lu  ueeii  Ills  uii.v  oiicis  aiHi  Ills  iiatteru'.s,  wlule 


casi 


384 


IX  TIIK   I'ooTSTKIN  OK  NA  IM  )Li:(  ).\ 


his  frontier  luiil  licm  ;i^  far  t'roiii  tiif  houndarics  of  l-'raucc  as 
the  X'istiila  and  tiic  Tiln-r. 

Now.  liowcvfi',  he  no  loii'jrr  lirld  aiiytliiii-r  bi-yoiid  the 
Pyrenees,  tlie  Al|).s  and  tiie  IHiine.  Sfjain  and  (ierniaiiy  imd 
di'iven  iuni  out.  'I'lie  .\ustrians  had  invaded  Italy  and  wvrv 
ha.>lily  snatehin^'  fi'oni  him  the  first  (d'  hi.,  fruits  of  victory, 
wliih'  iieinniiivi:  in  his  vieeroy  at  .Mihm.  .\t  the  same  tiiiie 
•Mui'at's  chihlish  and  fulih-  pei'tidy  was  fast  h)siii<,'  the  rest  of 
tile  Italian  peninsuhi.  \'ainly  striviii<r,  iiy  alhiyiiii,'  iiiiii>,lf 
viti;  tile  enemy,  to  save  ids  royal  house  of  cards  from  tlie 
impeniiiiLr  crash,  the  Kint:  of  .Xaples  seized  Home  and  marched 
nortir.vard.  and  .Xapoleon,  who  had  eoiinteci  on  having'  ihr 
French  sohliei's  in  Italy  join  him  in  defence  of  France,  had 
to  march  tiiem  ajjainst  his  foolish  and  ungrateful  brotiuT-iii- 
law. 

Still  another  blow  was  dealt  the  EmiK-ror  in  hi.s  oxtromity 
by  tlu'  hand  of  another  of  his  old  marshals,  when  liernadotto 
took  from  him  the  last  of  his  allies.  The  Crown  Frimr  ef 
Sweden,  forehanded  in  picduiiL:  up  th"  wreekaire,  moved  upon 
Denmark,  which  was  eompcdled  to  renounce  its  alliance  with 
France  and  cede  .Norway  to  Sweden,  and  Ilelitroland  to  En?- 
land. 

The  ill-wind  that  was  drivintr  the  Empire  on  tho  roeks,  how- 
ever, blew  open  the  prison  door  of  I'ope  Pins  VIl.  N'apoloon 
no  sooner  saw  Home  in  the  hands  of  .Miirat  than  he  started 
the  prisoner  of  Foidainehleau  on  his  homewai'd  .journey  to  the 
Eternal  City,  that  he  "iiiiLdit  burst  on  that  plane  like  a  flap 
of  thunder."  Another  prisoner  also  profitfd  by  the  misfor- 
tunes of  tile  Empire,  l-'ei'dinand  beinrr  liberated  from  his  -ni*- 
tivity  of  nearly  six  years  to  I'et  irn  to  Spain  and  cdaiin  his 
crown.  Thus  .Vapoh'on  threw  over  the  ballast  from  his  sink- 
ing,' ship,  but  too  late  to  keej)  it  afloat. 

The  Allies  eoneentrated  b.dund  the  Rhine  in  oarly  Doeem- 
bcr  for  an  immediate  invasion  of  France.  They  had  a  }-'r;iinl 
total  of  >S(l.(l()0  troops  but  tln^y  did  not  choose'to  wait  to  ;l^- 
semhle  ;lw)se  ]Lrrei>!  masses.  They  (diose  instead  to  open  a  wi,;- 
ter  caiiipaiL'n  with  ;}(i(i.(lli()  men,  while  the  Emperor  yet  liad 
no  i;ior<    Ti;.  ii  .(ii, ;;;;!/  Uoops  al  iiie  r'l'encji  i)order. 


AT  RAY 


38.'. 


With  tlio  ox('cptioii  of  SwirzcM'laiid  tlicro  wrro  tlun  no  mni- 
tnil.  liiitTtT  states  lictwrcn  ( iiriiiany  and  l-'raucr.  Ildllaiid 
iiiiil  UrlLriiiiii  liad  \)vvn  .swallowed  up  in  \\>r  l■]]^^\,lr^^.  wIiom' 
t'nmticr  inrludcd  not  only  cvri'vlliinir  on  tin'  Irft  liank  ul'  tlie 
llliiiic  l)iit  also  ran  liryond  the  E\\)r. 

l)lilow  I'Htt'i'fd  Holland,  wlicic  tiic  Dutcli  i>i'ople  roso  to 
wrli-oiiii'  him,  while  iiliiiher  came  down  the  lo-<i'lle.  and  ad- 
vaiireil  ihi-ou^'h  Loi'i-aine,  drivinL''  N'ii-lor  fnuii  Nancy  and 
lasily  capturimr  Toul.  'Die  main  army,  under  Schw  .iv.en- 
liiiir.  and  accompanied  hy  the  (7ar.  the  lOniperor  of  Austria 
,iiii|  llie  Kintr  of  I'russia,  did  not  scruple  to  iiiiiore  Swiss  ]ieu- 
triility.  ('rossin>r  the  Hliine  hetween  Basic  and  S,  halViiau- 
vii.  its  advance,  in  overwiielmiiiL'  numbers,  was  a  military 
IH'omenade.  The  French  he||>lessly  fell  hack  from  town  to 
'"'All  and  from  river  to  rivei',  while  the  invadini;  forces  swept 
j'lw.iiil  until  they  stood  at  the  Ijoiders  of  HurKundy  and 
'  iniiiipaLrne,  wliei'e  they  looked  down  the  valleys  of  the  Seine 
.::!ii  ilie  .Marne  toward  Paris 

Tims  the  Cossacks  were  iii  the  heart  of  eastern  France  he- 

iiv  Napoleon  could  piece  to^'ether  the  semlilanee  of  an  army 
'  i'  il' iVnce.  lie  did  not  leave  I'ai'is.  indeed,  until  nearly  a 
::M'iitn  had  ])assed  since  the  Allies  lirst  crossed  his  frontier. 

K'l  alisintr  tlie  desperate  chances  of  his  situation,  he  a^rain  in- 

>t.i|  .Marie  Louise  with  the  re^'eney,  and  eliose  Josepli  U  la- 
I'Jirtc,  the  dethroned  Kinj,'  of  Spain,  as  her  chief  adviser. 
.\sscml)lini,'  the  ofticers  of  the  national  iruard,  in  the  ^reat  Imll 
v.iicrc  he  had  seen  Louis  XVI  compelled  to  put  on  the  red 
It'  of  li))erty  nearly  twenty-two  years  before,  ho  held  his 
i.i-i  Irvce  with  the   Empress, 

The  courtiers  all  came,  hidingr  their  fears  behind  their 
^iiiil(s.  or  their  treacheries  behind  their  fawnin^s.  When  the 
l-Miiicror  entere(L  the  Eni|)rcss  was  with  liim.  and  between 
tii'Mii  was  the  Kin<;  of  Rom,-,  his  yellow  curls  fallinjr  over  the 
>^innl(lcrs  of  the  blue  coat  of  his  unifoi'in  of  the  national  ffuarcL 
iliat  simple  piciur(>  of  father  and  mother  and  .son  touclied 
'lit'  lii'art  and  kindled  a  devotion  beyond  any  'vords  however 
eloiiiiciit. 


.\fr, 


1  iUI  W      %JL 


3S6 


IN  Till-:   FUOTSTKI'S  OF  XAI'OLEOX 


oflifci's,  the  F'hiipcror  said  to  thriii:  ' '  (icnth^mon,  I  am  aliout 
to  go  tu  till'  arinv,  Init  I  iiitiust  to  vdU  what  1  liold  ilcanst  in 
till'  world — my  wile  anil  son.  Lit  tluTi'  lif  no  poiitiral  di- 
visions." Lil'tinu  np  his  son,  lif  rari'ird  liim  amon^j  the 
oftirci's  and  roni'ticrs.  who  rlicri'i'd  and  \\r]it  wiiilc  tliry 
plcd^rd  tlii'ii"  lives  lor  ihr  prcjtn'tion  of  the  I^mpfcss  and  tliu 
iximr  of  Rome. 

In  a  t't'W  hotii's  moiT  Napoleon  hehi  his  boy  in  his  ai'iiis  am! 
looked  into  iiis  i)lue  eyes  i'oi'  the  last  time.  Foi'  the  1  '  time, 
too.  he  I'nlded  .Marie  lionise  in  his  emiiraee  as  lie  was  depart- 
ini,'  at  three  o'clock  on  a  dreary  .laniu.  s  morning  to  battle 
with  her  father. 

The  drama  of  Napoleon's  life  from  prologue  to  epilo^'ui' 
was  iiighly  theatrical,  it  liccanie  sheer  melodrama  wluni 
the  curtain  rose  ui)on  iiim  standing  at  bay  amid  the  eharrcil 
ruins  of  Bi'ieiine.  Driven  fiom  Cairo  and  Moscow,  Home  and 
Vienna,  .Madrid  and  Berlin,  hunted  out  of  Kgypt  and  Syria 
and  Russia,  Spain  and  Austida  and  Rohuul,  Italy  and  Ger- 
many and  Holland,  chased  from  river  to  river  across  the  face 
of  Kuroi)e,  he  took  refuge  in  the  village  of  his  boyhood  days, 
and  from  behind  its  gai'den  walls  he  turned  ui)on  the  avenging' 
nations.  Russian  ("ossaidxs  and  Prussian  I'hlans,  the  soldiers 
of  all  the  lands  which  his  legions  had  overrun,  were  upon  him 
and  the  village  lanes  resounded  with  the  yells  of  the  caL'er 
paek. 

Some  riilaiis  almost  rode  h.im  down  in  a  neighbouring  town 
and  had  iiearly  surrounded  him,  when  a  French  brigade  came 
up  just  in  time  to  cut  him  out.  After  they  were  beaten  off. 
he  saw  the  i)riest  of  the  place,  standing  by  the  roadside.  Rec- 
ognising him  as  one  of  his  teachers  in  the  friars'  seliool,  he 
exclaimed:  "What!  It  is  you,  my  dear  master!  1  don't 
need  to  ask  if  you  know  this  neighbourhood?" 

The  father  assured  him,  "Sire,  I  could  find  my  way  every- 
where blindfolded."  Roustan  thereupon  was  ordered  to  dis- 
mount and  irive  his  horse  to  the  (derical  guide,  who  led  the 
way  toward   Hi'ieniie. 

It  was  dusk  when  .Vajioleon  api)roaelied  the  town,  ridintr 
ijesicie   ills  oiu  leaciier.      iiiuciier  iuid  uccupieti   iiie  ViiiagC  a;;;: 


AT  BAY 


387 


\v,i>  i;iiintr  his  supper  in  tlif  liiu'  (•liAt'';ni  wlidi  ;i  hail  of  shots 
.i^l.i.nly  <lcscfii(hMl  and  the  l-'i'mrli  cavalry  (hishcd  U[i  to 
ilic  lidht  Lratf.  The  dhl  Prussian  iiiai'shal  did  not  stop  to 
tiiiisli  his  meal,  and  was  fortunate  to  he  ahh'  to  inals'-  liis  escape 
In  a  liii'k  way.  lie  rallied  his  forces  out  on  the  snow-covered 
lirMs  and  lila/.ed  at  the  town  until  midnij:lit,  hut  the  schoolhoy 
(,t  Hricniie  had  come  into  his  own  and  held  it. 

S,;itei|  in  the  chateau  he  iieard  a^'ain  the  never  f()r<,'otteii 
iniies  of  the  bell  in  the  old  church  tower  at  the  foot  of  the  hill. 
(hire  inoi'e  he  slejit  in  the  l)i'd  ever  after  cherished  hy  the 
,niiiiis  of  I.rieiuie,  which  he  had  first  <)ccu|>ie(l  when  he  catne 
till  years  before  to  let  the  villagers  see  the  crown  the  little 
tdrsieaii  liad  won.  That  crown,  beside  which  all  other  crowns 
hiid  piiled  and  before  wliieh  the  Tuitions  ha«l  bowed  in  subjec- 
tieii.  that  crown  which  millions  of  bayonets  had  iruarded.  now 
rniild  coianuuid  no  more  than  100, (IDO  ill-ai'iiied,  ill-clad,  ill-fed 
and  ill-tr'ained  defenders  against  the  ovei'-whelmin<r  hosts  of 
tile  KdtiianotVs,  the  ira])sbui'<is.  and  the  IlohetizoUerns,  banded 
tOL'etlier  to  snatch  it  from  his  brow. 

r.liicher  was  deterniined  to  retake  iirieiine,  and  on  the  tliird 
,!ay  he  returned  to  the  attack.  Napoleon  went  forth  to  meet 
liiiii  about  the  villatre  of  I. a  Rothiere,  winch  lies  across  the 
[.liiiiic  in  view  of  the  old  belfry.  It  was  another  snow  battle, 
lor  tile  combat  was  waged  in  the  midst  of  a  cold  and  heavy 
snowstorm ;  but  unlike  the  memorable  snow  battle  in  the 
srh.iolyard,  an  Empire  was  the  prize  at  stake  now. 

And  Xapoleon  lost.  After  saerificinfr  a  full  tenth  of  his 
li!tl'  army,  he  retreated  under  cover  of  darkness  to  another 
iii'-'lit  in  the  chateau.  It  was  a  ni<rht  tilled  with  alarms.  At 
four  in  the  morning,  he  hurriedly  rode  away  from  Hrieiuie 
forever,  to  fall  back  across  one  more  river  in  a  retreat  which 
ivally  began  at  Moscow^ 

Hastily  crossing  the  Aube,  he  ran  into  Troves,  that  i)ic- 
luivs.|ue  old  town  of  narrow,  winding  streets  ami  timb(>red 
lioiises.  There,  in  the  ancient  capital  of  ('hampagne.  he  stood 
I'V  the  shore  of  the  last  river  at  his  coiiunand.  the  Seine,  and 
oiil\   Inn  miles  from  Taris.     But  in  its  dread  of  the  wotimled 


i; 


.vriiix'  01  me  .^o\  ei  ■  mns  lumcu  neuiiai  n 


-Vi 


388 


l\  Till",   KdoTSTKI'S  (H'  XAI'oLKoN 


.stf;i(]  of  falliii'^'  upon  him  in  ri'iisliiiiL'  fnri'r,  tln'  Allies  di- 
viilcil,  liliirliiT  iiin\iii<_r  ii]i  !■,  t!i,.  M.in,,',  will:  ihc  int.  iition 
of  iiiiircliini,'  to  l',in>  dnw  ii  the  v;illcy  of  that  fi\ri',  whil.-  the 
main  army  inuKrtook  to  a<i\aiicf  on  the  caintal  liy  the  valhy 
of  tlic  Srini'. 

.Moanwliih'  the  diphimats  of  the  hrlliu'ir.i.t  nations  had  as- 
^1  iii''l''<i  in  ;i  '•onLT.-.s  at  ChatiMoii  ami  raised  th.  lu'ii'c  of 
|i'ai'f.  At  I'ra-nr  thry  otTrCrd  id  h't  Napolfon  |<('i-|i  l>cls.'iutii, 
Ilolhiiid.  and  Italy;  at  T'l^ankfrnl  thi',\-  sniitfactrd  Italy  and 
llolliiiid.  and  now.  at  Chalillon.  tlicy  uitiidi'cw  l!r!<riiuii.  which 
Frain'c  had  laLm  from  Austria  in  the  |{rvolution.  tiefore  .Na- 
poleon came  to  power.  This  latest  demand  infuriated  .lin,. 
'■  rnheard-of  disastei's  may  have  snatched  from  \\\r  the  jironi- 
ise  to  renouni'e  my  own  eomjuests,"'  he  said.  "  nt  irive  ip 
tliose  made  hefore  me'.'  XeViT !  (iod  save  me  from  ;  at  dis- 
grace :" 

l']n,Lrlaii(l  was  determined,  however,  to  remove  the  entire 
Xether'lands  fi'om  tlu'  control  of  a  irreat  rival  jiower  like 
France.  For  she  has  escr  re^'arded  the  coast  u(  Ilolhind  ami 
licl'jiiim  as  her  landini,'  plaei'  on  the  continent. 

The  ("zar.  implacahle  as  the  Knirlish,  was  ea^er  to  enter 
Paris  and  destroy  the  lionaparte  throne.  The  Austrians,  how- 
ever, havinj,'  already  ictaken  virtiiall.\  everythinir  he  had  cap- 
tured from  them,  were  less  ea^'er  for  the  pursuit. 

With  allied  Kuro]ie  only  five  or  six  marches  from  Paris, 
Napoleon  could  not  hend  his  pride  and  lirinu'  himself  ti-  accept 
any  hounds  to  his  sovereiinity.  Like  a  hii/h-powered  locnnio 
tive  deseendin<_'  from  a  ^'feat  IieiLrlit  at  top  speed,  lie  eould 
not  sto|)  until  he  was  thrown  and  ditched.  His  fall  must 
0(iual  his  rise,  his  misfortunes  must  be  in  proportion  to  his 
fortunes. 

Two  days  after  liis  arrival  in  Troyes,  the  Emperor  rose  from 
his  maps  and  exclaimed,  "I  am  goin^  to  l)eat  lilii' ;,  r!" 
Starting'  at  once  on  a  swift  cross-country  marcli,  he  <  '(lered 
the  (letaehment  remaining  behind  to  maintain  a  noisy  shew 
of  a^'irressiveness  toward  Schwa r/t>nber<r.  sjiout  "Vivc  I'Kk'- 
peieur"  and  make  that  cautious  eouuiiander  feel  that  he  still 
liud  .\apokH)n  in  front  of  him. 


AT   l?.\V 


380 


Wlii!.'  liotli  Sclivvarz.'iilxrL'  Jin.l  I'.lii  her  suppost'il  hi' i  still 
at  Troyi'S,  while  tLc  formrf  wiis  slowly  iiiiiiiMiis  riii'-'  with  i\- 
tivmt'  "prutleiirf  iiiid  the  latf.T  was  tlatt.Tiii-r  hiiiisrlf  he  had 
Sf(»l.'ii  a  inarrli  .11  tl;-  <Mrat  (a|itam.  h.'  frll  lilv  a  r  .lullrss 
tliuiidiTholt  upon  the  caivlcssiy  >stniii<r-(mt  .oliimn  ..!  I'.hi  luT. 
I'nr  "111-  <\yiU  w.ck.  tlir  I'jiip.ror  was  ii^iii'i  ''i''  I-'""'-  <"<irporal 
\,,iii;    iKitt-'.  (if  l.cxii.  <if  ("asti'-'lioiit'  and  ol'   i;i\nli. 

Catilimi;  \.,>  some  vclrian  diatrooiis  of  tlif  Siianisli  ram- 
|,.,iL'u.  wli"  iiad  u'allnix'd  ad'oss  I'ram-.'  '"witiioiit  iiiiliridliii'^'." 
lie  (Inivr  tiiciii  nil  witlioiit  uiviiiL'  tliiiii  a  111  all  iifj  tiiiic.  Il<' 
mari'li  1  his  cdnscripts  all  niulit  ami  k'  |.t  Mifiii  fii-'litiiiL'  ^11 
,|ii\,  and  likt"  ,,  w  I  irhvirid  tun-  thinii'.'h  wciidiTiritr  villain  s. 
wlinv  lif  iK'Vrf  iM't'.nv  had  hern  scni.  LnadiiiL'  liis  infant ry 
into  til,'  carts  of  thr  peasantry,  he  rai  ri-'d  his  lit  '.•  hand  over 
>.Iusliy  roads  sixty  inilr.  in  thirty-six  ho  .rs.  llis  aiii.raraiu'p 
thrillVd  alikr  th-'  popidacr  md  the  troops,  aiul  wf  arr  told  that 
iiiulcr  tl:-  inspiration  of  nis  |)rescni'e  'Mhc  cavali'y  attacks 
w.Mv   tioncr,""    and   that  cv.n   '-tlic    tir.'  of  ih,'   cannon   was 

hcavn-r." 

First  striking'  niic  of  P.liiihcr  divisions  ■■  t  (  liaMipanhcrt. 
milv  I'liX'  of  its  "tOuii  men  esea[»ed  hin'.  Xext  he  tou'-dit 
what  IS  ealied  the  I'.attle  .f  ''ontniir.ul  and  routed  two  other 
liivisions.  lie  pounced  1, m  he  marshal  lunisell  the  follow- 
ins:  .lay  an<l  hurhd  him  from  'hateau  Thierry.  In  fo\ir 
whirliii'.'  days,  his  :;i).(HiO  men  snasle  <1  to  [lieees  an  army  of 
more  than  oO.OOO  when  its  van  was  within  tlfty  or  sixty  •  nles 
of  Paris,  llliicher  found  himself  <lriven  hack  in  disord  r  to 
Clifilnns  sur  Marne.  mon  than  PM)  mii<'s  fron  his  -.'oal.  and 
with  a  loss  cf  nearly  20.(it)0  men. 

Turniiiir  i  1  a  tiash  :  rom  Kliicher,  Xapoleon  smote  and 
p;i!alys.'d  the  left  wmt:  of  the  .\rmy  of  the  Sov.'rei-jns  wIhti 
il  was  only  twelve  miles  or  a  day's  uareli  from  Fontainel)leau. 
T  uvduiildmself  tipon  it  at  M  .ntereau.  which  snUL'ules  in  the 
.ii,.,w  fornird  hy  the'Vonne  and  the  Seine,  he  dealt  a  blow 
tliat  s,iit  Si'hwar/.eid)orL'  s'at'-crin'^  hack  to  the  Aid'c 

In  the  re.iuveiiation  of  victoiy.  he  l.ecame  on( c  more  the 
\oini"  arlillervman  and  pointed  tin  cannon  that  tore  the 
'■Hfiiiv  s    iroiii.       ill'-    f^uiiii' . .-.    j.....> , 


*i...;..    I,',,.. 


390 


IN  Till-:  i-M(»TNri;i's  ov  xaim.i.iiox 


pi'i'nr's  rN|insiii--  tii  |"'iil.  lull   li"  fcassii I'l' I  tljini:     "All'  my 

l'i'irii(l».  iirvcr  t'rii';  tlir  luill  IS  iHit  y\  i';isl  tliiit   will  kill  ine." 

As    111'    lllu\ril    t'i>rw;i|-i|    I  inlii    .Mollti't'cilU,    illi    alliiy    tllfit    (illt- 

IlMIIllirl'ril     his    li\i'    tu    tun    tlllliillv      I'rlilrd     ImIoI'i'    jlilll    iliul    lie 

(IrcliiiTil  Id  lii^  iniiiiNtcf  ol'  Will'  lli.it  lie  winilil  lia\f  uipi'il  it  0"t 
hut  I'll!'  Ills  lark  (if  twi'iily  skill's  with  wliii-h  to  rfuss  tln'  Si'ine 
ill    jmrsiiit.      ■'it     w.i.s    iKiI    til'ty     hoats    thai     1     iici'dfd      only 

twciiiN :" 

While  the  i!iii|ji  idf  was  jiausiiiu'  airain  a!  Tniyrs,  hi"  luanl 
thai  lilii'-hri'  hail  nrLMiiisnl  a  iiru  anii.\  of  .''>(i,(M)(i  inni  I'nr 
a   t'lisli   start   InwanI   Paris.      Krsulvril   tu  hnak   him   up  nin'i' 

llliil'c.    Ill'   h  ft    lllr   Si'iiir,   I•I•|IS^'■^1   the    Mal'Ili'  ailil    tllr   AjslH'.   ami 

I'cll  iipdii  ihc  old  hussar  at  ('rainir.  a  crow  tliirht  of  i'i|_'tity 
iiiilrs  north  of  Tmyi's.  Tin'  fortri'ss  of  Soissous.  linw. Atr. 
liad  falli'U.  and  lilili-hri,  ha\in>_'  hrrn  Joiiu'd  li\'  Uiilow's  ariiiy 
from  llollaiid,  had  in  haul  no  less  tluni  llO.dOd  men  aL'ainst 
4."),(Mii)  Frmili.  In  vaiii  the  I'lmprror  Hiiiil'  himself  au'aiiist 
that  wall  of  steel  and  then  turned  haek  to  open  a  new  cam- 
pai^Mi  of  inlimidatioii  a'-'ainst   Sehwar/.eiiber^'. 

When  he  tlioUL'ht  that  eomiiiander  was  retiriniz  before  him, 
as  usual,  tlie  Army  of  the  Sovei'ei;.'iis  turned  upon  him  at 
Areis  sui-  Aulie.  where  with  only  "Jo.ddn  mrti  he  was  sur- 
I'ounded  l>y  ^(>,^(lll  and  hail  no  other  uieans  of  eseape  than  iiy 
a  nari'ow  lirid'_'e.  Vet  for  two  lioui's  those  SO.OOii  stood  silent, 
HiotionlesN.  and  irresolute  on  the  heiu'lits  of  the  .\ul»e  before 
the  mere  handful  on  the  river  hank.  The  Kmperor  uaslurky 
in  the  end  to  i,'et  away  with  no  ^'nater  loss  than  r)l)(l()  iiiPii; 
but  that  was  one-fourth  of  his  strenirtli. 

Both  Itliieliei-  and  Srhwar/enher^r  haviufr  boaten  liini  o!T.  he 
saw  in  his  hand  but  one  more  eanl  to  play.  If  he  eould  no 
]on<rer  block  the  I'oad  to  I'aris,  he  would  try  to  cut  in  behind 
the  invaders,  arouse  ;he  ]Hi|)ulation  of  Alsace  and  liOrranie 
and  biiii'^-  the  Allies  back  to  defend  their  lines  of  communica- 
tion. With  onl\-  jii.nnii  men.  he  started  for  the  Kliine,  but  he 
declared  ■"soon  1  shall  have  liMi.iiCO." 

As   he    sped    easlwai'd,    however,    and    Schwarzenberir   was 

tuniiiii,'   to   pursue   him.   two   couriers   were  captured   by  the 
1.^ 1    * 1  it  .. 

us.s;;c:-.r,    ;;:;;:     ;v.;:     ::-\[\-i 


.  1.    ..     f„ 


IJ,.      *!,.,♦ 


AT   I'.AV 


!)1 


cliiiiKM'  of  Ml.'  roiiil.  tlh'  I'usi'  was  (■xpo>.il.  dii  •  l-tt.r  u  .i>< 
fniiu  Suvarv  tn  tic  l-liniinor  ti'Ilini:  him  tli.it  l'i;ni  «•  roiiM 
no  loiiper  resist  aihl  llir  (.tn-  r  uji>  rmni  llir  I;iii|m mr  In  Miii'if 
l.oiiisc,  (liviilv-'inir  liis  |iiir|i(isc  to  liraw  tln'  Alli.s  .in.iv  ti-(im 
I'aris.  With  llmsr  It'll  lair  l.ttns  in  his  liaiuls,  thr  t'/ar  in- 
sisU-d  that  Si'huaiv.rnli.'i'-  ai^l  I'lliirlirr  sh.niM  at  niirr  y,\\\ 
foi-trs  ill  an  aiUan-r  un  tin  •■api'al.  an^l  niil\  a  small  IniTr  was 
M'lit  to  til''  r.'ar  to  <h  liidc  Na|Hilroii  with  ihr  idra  that  thr 
Aliii's  wrfi-   t'dllowiiiL'  him. 

Aitrf  till'  I'lmiifi'oi'  had  t'l'in-rd  I'm-  two  or  tlirrr  days  with 
tho  il«'i-oy  division,  suinc  ladh'tins  of  tlic  Alias  un-.'  tumid  in 
the  po>'kt'ts  of  I'ai'tnivd  sohlirrs,  wlia  h  aimoun.-rd  that  thr 
allii'tl  arms  was  pasiii'^'  no  attmtion  to  him.  lait  was  niakin'.; 
strai'jlil  for  Paris.  Then  tlir  true  situation  dawia  d  iijion  his 
M!id''rstandiii'^. 

1|.  was  at  St.  l)i/ici'  wiifii  tiir  s.-ah's  fc'l  from  his  cy.'s  and 
h.- siw  thr  |"ril  of  iiis  .aoital,  l.')l»  mihs  away.  IL'  tiirn-'d 
lit  oiler  to  run  a  race  aer'oss  France  in  an  elV..rt  to  '_'et  ahead 
of  the  invaders  and,  sword  in  hand,  take  iiis  pla.e  at  the  eity 
eate. 


.♦    itiifc.'. 


CITAPTKIi  Xl.V 

THE  FIKST  AI'.DICATION' 

NM'OLKON  was  vet  1U(I  iiiihs  away  and  furiously  eal- 
"lopin-^hn.u-li"  Clunnpa-iK"  wlim.  on  \\u-  2'Mh  of 
Mnivh  1M4  tlir  AUirs.  tlic  lirst  alien  mvadrrs  in 
3:.0  y.'ars'to  c-onu-  lu  si- ht  of  the  capital  of  France,  saw  from 
Clirhv  the  settiKt:  sun  t-'ihl  tlie  ^pi.vs  of  Pans. 

K,,;,n  a  t.,w.T  nf  Notre  Dame.  tl,..  I'arisians  eouia  see  th. 
Kussians  an.l  (iern.ans  and  Austrians  rc.Hin-  toward  tlu-.r 
^valls  lik.'  a  ti.hd  wave,  an.l  eouhi  se.  tlie  smoke  rurlni-  a hov. 
the  ean,p  tires  of  th..enen>y.  The  Wrmrh  had  eonquered  t he 
oai.itals  of  Kuroi'e,  hut  at  hist  r.'t ril.ution  awaited  tlieiu  a  the 
pUes  of  tlieir  own  capital,  wlie.v  the  ea-er  Cossaei.s  vrU^ 
th..  ery  of  a  hetiuan:  '-Ah,  Fath-,T  Pari.!  Thou  shalt  now 
pav   fov  Motlier  .Moscow!" 

;n,,  i,,a,uiful  .apital  Nvas  adorned  with  the  treasures  ^ot 
..onnu.red  lands  and  tlie  in..nunirn1s  of  military  triumph  ..o 
Ifss  than  P'lM)  meltrd  cannon,  which  Napol.'on  liad  captuiva 
from  IMssia  and  .\ustria,  were  in  the  h»fty  Vcndmue  column. 
J5iit  tlieiv  w.'iv  no  -uns  to  mmiiit  on  tlie  city  wall,  i  aUN 
like  all  France,  was  exhausted  by  victory  and  bankrupted  In 

""'"vireadv  Mario  Louise  and  her  t1iree->  ear-oil  son  had  left 
the  TuileVies.  The  Kiiiperor  luul  ivp.'atediy  commanded  tha 
Ins  wife  and  boy  should  leave  !„.f<.r.  the  city  fell.  'I  wouk 
,,,l,er  mv  son  shmild  have  his  tiiroat  cut  than  that  he  shouhl 
h,  hrouudit  up  in  Vienna  as  an  Austrian  prince  he  ^vrole 
Kinir  .Joseph.  As  f.>r  himsrlf.  he  plainly  warned  his  brother 
1liat   wlien   I'aris  fell  he  would  have  ceased  to  live. 

Wh.en     the    batteries    of    th.^     Alli.^s    he-an     to    knock    a 
the   "ates  on  the  liOth   of   Minv'n.   th<re  were  only  seven  oW 


THE  FIRi=^T  ABDIC.vTION 


393 


city,  the 


wit 


h    which   to   liohl   those   iiatunil    a.-fcnoos  of  the 


liriu'lits  of   .Montiiiartn 
1    .Moni'cv   <,'alh('r('<l   u    few 


Miirslials   Mannoiit,   Mor- 


at'ffinK'i'S,    soine   o 


f   them 


Iv  hi^'h  si'iiooi  Ihivs 


on 

resist  a  iu'( 


aiH 


1  olYtrcd  a  iiaHant  b\it  vain  show  of 


At   fotif  in 


the  aftrniooii  the  stni-ji: 


lie  was  ove 


aiu 

of 


1  ;!  U'umpvU'V  mh.  out  witli  a  Ha-  of  truee._    IJy  tlie  pit 
La   Villette,   not    far   from   the   t.aro  C 


was  iiehl  as  the  sun  was  siukuii 
irreed   that    tlie   litth'   ar-i 


111   Xord  to-day,   a 
hind  Montinartre, 


I. ell 


it    was   a 
uate  the  eity  in 


ly   of    (U'fenee   shouUl 
tVii'irl-rht  and  that  tiie  Allies  should  make 


t!:"ir  en 


trv  in  tile  mornin< 


11     tl'.l-ee 


days  Napoleon  had  heen 


raein?  hack   from  St. 


Di/.icr. 


1 


leavin'' 


third  (lav,  he  jumnec 


his   exhausted   soldiers  behind   him   on   the 
1  into  a  litrht  wick'  ■■  carriat-'e  witli  Caidani- 


Hiirt,   -vlllle 


Drouot  and  Flaliault,  (u.ir^'aut 


1  and  Lefebre  fol- 


ia  similar   conveyances 


riH my  was  hetor 
and  tlie  Kinir    >f 
iu'.ttle  was  oil — 
It  was  ten  o'( 


At    Sens   he    heard    that    the 

.'aris;  at   Fontainehleaii  that  the  Empress 

Uome  hiid  left  tiie  city:  at  Essonnes  that  the 

ind  lie  still  tweiii 


V  miles  away ! 


lock  at  nit-'ht  when  he  dashed  into  the  village 


(  iiiir  ( 


le  France  and  stoppc 


1  for  his  last  ehanp;e  of  liorses. 


Tl;;i1  llctiisem 


ane  of  the  Empiie  no  loinxer  is 


IHlt   IS   0(1 

stciiic  cettatres 


w  called  Froma.iteau. 


n  all  else 


(."our  de  Franco 
however,  with  its 


horderin?  the   liiudi    road    lu^tween    Pans  an 


r  iili1:illicii 


•n  tl 


lean. 


avs  w 


it  is  much  the  same  simple  lianih 


{  that  it  was 


hen  the   Emperor  and  his  e(jui 


t.  in  a  cloud  of 


USt.   passe( 

aiiit; 


aiK 


I  throu-h  on  their  imi-erial  pro^'rossos  between  the 

1  as  it  was  that  ni(,'ht  ot 


1   the  jrreat   ctiateau,   am 


til.'  :'.i»ili   of 


le  I 


March,    1S14,   when,   in   an   aeony  of   rage 


and 


lair 


At   til 


)aced  its  only  street 
ntrance  o 


sdUlliern  ( 


rmii 


two  time-sea 


rred   fountai:is.  t 


•■V  al'i'  ca 


lied  in  honour  of  the  municii) 


,f  the  villatre  there  rise  by  the 

he  fountains  of  Juvisy,  as 

ilitv  of  which  Cour  de 


•r.iii 


IS 


hut  a  small  part.     The  women  an. 


1  children  of  the 


lieuiildoi 


i.  who  still  comt 


ndct   the  ttowinir  streams,  are  i 
that  thev  are  in( 


to  hold  their  buckets  and  pitch- 
■eminded  bv  the  inscrip- 


h^bted  for  the  refreshinir  bounty  of  the 


aiiis 


to    Kinu'   bonis 


XV 


ami 


tor 


their   restoration   to 


n04 


IN  TllK   FOOTSTHTS  oK  NAl'OLKON 


••Napol.M)!.  Ic  (irau.l."  It  \v:is  tlic  irony  of  fortun.'  that  hy 
Ih.wr  luui.taius  (.f  .luvisy.  "  Niii>«>l'-'"  I''  ^-r'^^^'^'  ^''""l''  1'"^" 
ivrri  v.l   tlir   l.itt.'.rst   diMl't    tlKit    Until   then    cv."-.-   I'ad   hm, 

pl'i'ssrii   to  his  Hjis. 

\Vliilr  thr  imi-Mticnt  Hnipcror  waited  tlicrc  for  ir.'sh  horses 
to  siHT.!  hi. a  on  tlir  last  stairr  of  hU  rare  for  cmpin",  a  cavah'y 
,,„„„„an,l   ram.  towani   him    Iron,    Paris.     "What!   y«m    JW- 

1„.  ,.\rhiiiiir  1  a>  li.'  rc.'O'.Miisr.l  tiiat  general.     "What 

t!ir 


,l,,rs  this  iiiran  .'     Von  lirrr  witli  your  cavalry  ?     W  here  is 

••     'I'll,.  -,.nrral  .Iftaih'd  to  thr  Krni>.'ror  the  duv  t-wnts 


annv 


of  that   fat.ful  <lav  wiim  I'aris  and  the  Hnipire  fell. 

Tiu'  Allirs  were  not  to  .'iit-'r  tiir  <-ity  until  tin-  morinn?' 
Tin-  KiHiHM-or  knit  his  hrov.  Hr  conhl  1..'  in  Paris  m  an 
liuur'  '-Thrrc  is  still  tiinr'.'"  hr  n-icd  to  Cauhuncwurt.  "My 
,.arna'-'.':  You  li^ar  uhat  1  say?  I  mean  to  -.'o  to  Pans!  My 
earria'-'i'l      i'.rinL'  nir  my  rarrias-'r  1" 

Moiv  ivlivatini:  tnM.j.s  came.  !)i'in!.rins,'  the  same  dr-.spairin'-' 
^tn'r-v  to  111.'  Kmp.i'or  Nvhnv  li.'  .sat  on  the  l)ase  of  one  of  iii-' 
fountains  supporting  iiis  thre.hhin^'  head  in  his  hands.  Soon 
]„.  slartrd'  u],  from  ids  roa.lsi.le  revry  and  strod.-  through  the 
villa-'e  and  to  th-'  hrow  ..f  tlu-  hill.  Standing'  tiiere.  he  saw  tlu' 
bivouac  tires  of  allie.l  Kurooe  drawn  in  a  eordon  ahout  thy 
surrendered  <'itv.  Caulaineourt  inducing' him  to  turn  his  harK 
on   the    painful'  spertaelr.   he    retired   to   the   Inn   of  Cour  (]*■ 

'n,;,t'humhlr  wavMde  tavern  is  trone  now,  and  on  its  sit.' 
are  the  vil'.i  and  ast -nuomieal  observatory  of  Camille  Flani- 
nuirion,  uhose  most  pow.rful  lens,  howevr.  eaunot  eat"!)  a 
irb'ani  of  the  star  which  Napoleon  saw  leadiu'.'  bim  on  to 
Ldorv  :uid   ni  disaster. 

'  No  soon.r  ha.l  the  i'^npcror  .mter.'d  the  inn  than  ho  spt-oad 
Ids  maps  and  fell  into  a  soliloMuy:  '-Alexan-ler  .vil!  heht  a 
review  to-morrow,  he  will  have  half  bis  army  on  t.ie  n^. 
l,a„k  .,f  the  Seine  aud  the  other  halt;^on  th  left.  It  I  oiU} 
had  mv  armv.  1  could  crush  them  all." 

\.ra"iu  he'looked   up.  wili    a  new  hope  flamini-:  ii'  his  o>e. 
"IVc   .ml    th.'iii:      I've    eot    tb.mi:--   he    slu)ut,-.l.     '-^'od   ha^ 


THE  FIRST  ABbU'ATIOX 


,,lar,..l  thfin  in  my 


haiiils' 


11 


V  vvoiiU 


1  <'o  to  Foiilaiii 


395 


■lilrau, 


I  111 


Mr  ins  annv 


a'li' 


(Irnc 


till-  alii'iis  01 


It  of  his  caiHt  il. 


Ciiii'aini-oiir 


■iiiiiirc^s  o 


illrll    lo 


•t  hi'L'iri'tl  tii"^  ^'* 


.■l>t  till'  ttTins  ( 


)lVrrc(i 


hs     till 


(•hAtillu)..   l)ut   ^vhi.■h.  of  .■onrs( 
hi,n.     Still   h«'  Nvoiil'l  not  ronsulc'' 


til 


•VCI't' 

SI 


no   lou'^'iT 
iL"Jt'stioii  of 


Mil 


istcr. 


Altlioiitrli  111'  stanct 


I  him  to  Paris  with  ir.striu 


1,1  iicizotia 


t(.  with  the  allirtl  sovrivi-iis 


lie  warned  him, 


\o  >h;i 


iiifftil  jiiaci' 
1     Aiilwrrp' 


'.Vi'Il 


Willi  Paris  faih'ii 


he  would  iHit 


•Franco    won 


Id     he    notMnLT    without 


.\li!\V.  •p 


111 


persisted. 


iiiiips 
diiy  ra< 
iiitlure' 


(  .iUiaille( 


)nrt 


had  departed  on  his  fntile  miss.on 


were  1 


olle.l  lip,  and  the  Emperor,  worn  ( 
;t  fate,  fell  asleep  in  the  tavi'rn 


th' 
)Ut  by  his  thre-: 


■  a".:ains 
truce 


Oblivious  to  his  misforiune 


chair.     It  was 
he  sat  there  un- 


til lour  o 
I'iirrii' 


when  he  re-t 


rloek  in  tlie  mornni 
1  drove  baek  to  Fontaniebleau 


iitered  his  wit 


■ker 


iiii 


.\t 


iiri'li  ci 


M  o  e 


lock  that   mornmt 


the  ("/ar  aui 


111,.  Kin-  of  Prussi 


troop  of  Cossaeks,  fol 
passed  under  tin 


I 


OlllS 


XIV  at  t 


he  Porte  St.  Martin  in  Paris 


Vli 


•lerious  spearmen 


;i1t1is    praueed 
fnuii  liie  I'rowdei 


loiiii  the 


As  the 

jil  the  eon(iuerin<x  mon- 

houle'vards,'  weleomin-  cheers^  rang 


from  the  Don  a:i 


1  windows  an 


cl  roo 


fs.     "Louir  live  the  Czar! 


.iiiiiT  live 
IL'  live 


the  Kill!-' of  Prussia 


'"  "Long  live  o 


ur  liberators' 


KiiU 


.o\n^ 


XVIll 


T)own  with  the  tyrant 


All  lh..  better  dr 'i-sed  peoj 


\r  had  brought  otit  and  donned 


wliite  cockade,  am 


Itl 


lie 


lilies  of  the  Bourbons  fell  lik»>  sn 


ow- 


in    the    ]iathway 
>t.  ,1  her  passion  in 


;K''S 


of    the    eompierors 
the 


ins 


had    ox- 


llnli    as 


a  w 


hole  hail  been   m 


am 


of  each  successive 


Keign  of  Terror,  and  her  poi.ula- 

dUTerent   lookers-on  a  I    the  rise 

She  onlv   shru-_"J-ed  her 


rei:iiiie 


i,.rs  and  smiled  as  a  mere  claque  aci 


■laimed  the  Empire, 


ill.'  iiuirriaLre  o 


Marie  Louise  an 


,1  the  birth  of  the   Kin 


of 


KiMllc 

Iril   ;i 

'Villi, -1 

liisliop  w 


Now  the  down 


fall  of  the  Emperor  w 


i-as  applauded  by 


tnc-e  claqu 


of  time  servers  an 


,d  Bourbon  n 


i)hl(>s.     That 


n'_^  faction  was 


under  the 


leadership  of  Talleyrand,  the 


ho  had  blessed  the  pikes 
of  tlie  Empire,  an 


if  the  Hevolution,  w 


ho  bo 


n  prince 


,d  who  was  now  waiting  ni 


396 


I\  THK  FOOTSTKPS  QF  XAPOLKON 


the  (loorwiiy  of  tiic  'jrn^at  paL'icc  wlildi  Xapolroii  jravc  iiim  to 
olTfi-  its  liospitality  ti)  tlic  ('  ir.  I'.y  !iis  sidt'  stood  Hour- 
rii'iiiif.  his  lips  piick,!v,|  to  kiss  the  iiaiui  t!iat  had  owrtun  d 
the  Kiiipirt"  of  tli,.  ,,1,1  ^.-hoojii  ato  of  I'.ririiii,',  of  tin-  iiiaii  who 
had  kept  him  on  his  |,ayf()ll  as  tininstt'C  at  Ilainhur!.'  -von 
after  ht!  had  hctra.Ncd  his  coiitidfiic,'  in  Wn-  post  of  private 
sccrrtary. 

The  coinpliant  sciiat,-  as  readily  vot<'(l  the  d,throiiement  of 
its  former  master  as  it  had  retristered  his  every  wdl  for  ten 
years.  Kv,>ti  tli,'  marshals,  anxious  to  save  th.  ir  liatoiiN  and 
tiieir  dueal  pala,'es  an,l  estates,  hasti'm'd  to  ehanizf  ''lej  il- 
leu'iaiiei'  and  i)le,lL'e  th,ir  swords  to  the  n,'\v  rule.  •Away 
with  l!onai>art,' !"  was  th,'  \\at,diword  now,  and  th  in  a  day 
tile  reiiiM   of  .Vapoh'on  vanish, 'd  Hk,.  ;i  dream. 

^^ ''il''  'II''  Parisians  \v,r>-  cin'eriiii;-  tliidr  eonipierors  ...id 
supph'  eourliers  wi'iv  a,lministerin'_'  on  his  estate,  Xapolenn 
was  sittinu'  in  the  deipiMiiiiLr  ulooin  that  hour  liy  hour  patlarod 
about  him  in  the  old  ehal,'au  of  FontaiiielihMu,  wlios  shadows 
to-day,  erowiied  thouirh  they  are  with  the  spirits  of  the  scep- 
tred d,>ad.  still  are   ruled  iiy  ids  stuiihorn,  unlaid  jrliost.     It 

rises    h,  l'(U'e   the    visitor   as    1 niers   the    palace   pate.     He 

sees  it  walkiiiL'  down  the  Horseshoe  Stairs  on  tlio  way  to  the 
Kll)an  e.Nile  ami  pausintr  to  he.stow  a  jtartiiitx  kiss  on"  the  im- 
perial eaLfle.  He  heals  the  otdioed  aeeents  of  tl"  eloquent 
tarewell  to  the  Old  (iuard,  whi,di  have  hen  treasured  the.se 
hundred  \.'ars  hy  the  •rn^y  walls  of  the  ('oiirt  of  the  AVhite 
Horse,  or  the  Court  of  the  .\dieu.  as  it  is  sentimentally  , 'ailed. 

As  the  ]»ili:rim  passes  into  the  chateau  itself,  ho  isled  tlrst 
of  all  up  a  HiLdit  i,f  stairs  and  tlirou>rh  the  haunted  apart- 
ments of  Xapohon  in  a  corner  of  the  vast  jiile.  where,  like  a 
ten:int  in  a  sc,-,!nd  st,ir\-  flat,  the  Emperor  occupied  only  ii 
hall-doz,  11  rooms  in  a  row.  The  one  other  suite  in  this  wiiiK 
of  the  ,diateau  faces  the  opposite  direction  and  looks  aero.ss 
the  lunLT  ''orridor  (d'  Francis  I,  and  out  u])on  the  Court  of 
the  Fountains. 

It  was  in  that  row  of  rooms,  just  on  the  other  side  of  the 
wall  from  his  own,  that  \ai)oleon  imi)risoned  the  Pope  of 
Rome.      And  Pi, IS  \'ll  had  l.,vn  lih.  rated  hss  than  ten  v.M.ks, 


■I 


».\^. 


TllK   I'llJSl-   AI'.DKATlnN 


;"»■; 


when  t!i' 


.i'" 


iiiii-'  sill 


aplor  luii.srlf  was  virtiiaily   n   raj 
t...     Coiihl    iimii^lnnnil    luon 


)tivf   ill   tilt'   !>'' 


|()>rlv     tlVilil     HI- 


ih.-  lu'fls  of  au  otYoiiff,  t 


veil 


within  till'  .lunsdirtioii  i>\   [> 


lusticf .' 
N.'V.  >!;!' 


,lonaldan.H>i.'l>"..t.l'M-tl.i,.r,Mannoiita 


Wire  at  I'i'ii 


laiiitlili'aii.  anxiously  waitm 


n<lK-f<'t 


r    I'oi-   til''if    !■'■'>  •'■^''   •" 


iTi' 


an  Dpii 


fiuiiit  V  to  Ilia 


l<r  1-  nils  witli  tlir  ii''\v  rr-riiiK' 


At   last, 


N,.V.   tlir    (illlSplki'Il 


Imssar,  liui'sl    in   upoi 


lUl 


lldllilv    I'l' 


liiuf.l  lluii'  iMUtmy 


•Sir' 


1  llic    l''iiii"'ror  a 
th,-  iiiar>lial  I'l-iiM 


ot'tliV  \!n>kva.  Iilniitly  aiinouiirc 


1    '-It   is  tiiac  to  stop 


You 


art'  ill  '!i''   I 


UlKt 


\oiir  will  ill!' 


xlMtlOll     O 


1! 


f   a   man   on    in- 


.Irathliril.     You    must 


1  alulirat,"  in  favour  of  tli-  Kin- ol  Ko' 


.Must!     Ni'Vrr  in  tlir  fiirlitf'n 


\-vi\ 


rs  Miii'f  III' 


to(»k  coiiiiiiand 


Army  of   Italy 
if  an\-  man. 


til.' 

,•  ;ip 

i  ,  r      pl'illi-rS 

(ilrh  caii'lour  l>\- 


luni    Nai-ol.'on  l.-aiM   tbat   wonl   from 
1„  Ins  aslonislunrnt.  \u-  api'i  ah^l  to  lii^ 


ami    <luK>' 


Their    aiisw 


■  !■    was    iiKUlf 


Wltll 


M; 


rshal  Mai-doiial 


■\Vr  have  had  .■nouu'h 


uf  war  without  kimUiiiir  a  dvi 


war 


Tlii'  Kmpi  Tdi'  '•( 


'lie  III 


liilM 


(i'l  a  pa 


mill  not   tai 
lacf  n-V(ilntimi. 


tr 


•atcd  fnnii  the  seem 


wr< 


•stU-   with    liis   liiumltnous   imi>ulsc 


1  to  sr..  that  h."  was  lirli-h'ss  in 
111  his  hruihh  iimnl,  1h'  iv- 

iiifid 
1    at    \\u-   talilt' 


luit  onlv  to  surivndcr  aft.r  a  !>a 


S.'lltn 


vhich  still  staiiiU  m 


salon  of  his  suit 


liti.mal  al.diration  and  sent  Caulairn'ourt 


to  I'aris.  .hari.'ci 
Kill''  of  lioiii' 


..  hf  scrawled  a  eon- 
Ney  and  Maedonald 
to  tilt; 


1  with  th."  duty  of  se.mrinc  thr  rrown 


That  nitrlit.  however 


fiV 


vr  to  the  Allies,  earrym-r 


his  l-J.Oito 


Marshal  .Maniiont  went 
, Tiers  with  him,  al- 
lien, too 


1   and  cursi'd  tiifir  otiiecrs  w 


tlioii-li   the   men    rehelle, 

lat..,tli..v  found  thev  had  l.vii  le.l  into  the  ramp  o 


ci'.'ii  invaders.   This  was  th--  mi 


f  the  for' 
lest  of  all  the  Mows  whi(  a  ai 


vtTsity   was   rainmi 
aihcrtiscd  !ii>  weakiii'ss 


upon    .Xapoh'on' 


anion 


<r  his  marshals  am 


till'  Allies,   who   n 


lun'.'er  hesitated  in   their  puri 


head.     Thf   desertion 
■mhoh'.ened 
to  ex- 


tfniiinate  the  I'.onaparte  dynasty  an 


1  restore  the  Hourhous. 


HowiiiK  to  the  inevitable,  at   last.  Na 


lui con  sea 


oiii-e  more   a 


WllK 


t    the    little      'nind  'op    malio'-'a 


Lraiiv    tall 


ted  liimself 
,1(.    bv    the 


low.  looking  out  upon  iln'  sju'ii 


:tinie  bloom  in  the  <.'a'-d( 


n 


of  Diana,  and  serateho 


:d  his  second  and  uueonditional  abdi- 


;!!)S 


IN  TIIH   KOOTSTKl'S  oK  XA  |•()IJ•:()^• 


(•ati()Il.  AI'liT  he  hiid  ui'ittcn  it,  lie  inserted  the  woi'ds,  "fdr 
liiiii.s(dr  mid  Ini'  his  I'eii's. "  With  timse  halt  do/eii  \\•or(l^ 
inhh'd,  he  had  sii,'Me<l  away  not  (inly  his  i;iii|iii-e,  hut  also  the 
l>ii'thi'i'_'ht  <il'  his  hny,  whuin  diily  thr'ee  years  licfoi'c  he  hiul 
liaih'd  with  Joy  as  the  itdicritor  and  perpetuator  of  his  li>ril- 
ship  of  tile  earth 

Tlie  Kinu''  \\as  dead  in  ;i  livini,'  deatli!  I-nni;  livi'  tlh' 
Kint: : 

One  hy  one  the  [iriiiees,  the  dukes.  tiic  courtiers,  and  cvtii 
thi'  .servants  softly  tiptoed  out  of  the  eiiaieau  and  ran  hniitli- 
h'ssly  into  i'aris  to  salutt-  the  risiu'j  sun.  .\ey  did  no!  return 
to  say  farewell  tn  his  old  eiiniiiian(h'r.  I^eitinei'  exeused  him- 
>n'lf  for  a  hiier  ahsenee.  "He  won't  eonie  hack;  1  tell  you. 
lie  won't  ennie  haclv,"  the  I'.nipci'oi'  pi'edicted,  and  truly 
h'oi'  he  ne\ci'  airain  saw  his  chief  n['  slatV  and  his  tent  mate  in 
all  his  cainpaiiiiis.     Sa\ary  refused  to  conie  at  all. 

Roustan.  who  e\er  since  he  entered  .Napoleon  "s  servii'c  al 
the  (iate  (d'  \'ictor.\'  in  < 'airo.  had  slept,  jioniai'd  in  hami,  at 
his  chaniliei-  do(U'.  went  to  fetch  his  wife  and  children  that 
they  iniL'ht  help  him  share  his  master's  cxili",  and  the  1'jniH'rnr 
t-'avc  him  !i;.")( M i( I ;  Imt  the  nianieluke  nevei-  I'eturtied.  Nor  (ii^l 
the  valet  ('niistan  his  pockets  buI^jiiiL'  with  the  Eiapcnir'.s 
fiold,  nappi'ai"  after  leaving'  to  visit  his  faiinly. 

At  last  the  conii)anions  of  his  uloj-x-  and  the  parfakt  rs  of  hi- 
hounty  all  wci'e  <_'one  and  he  was  left  alone  in  his  irlooin.  Tlif 
Allies  had  drawn  tlieii'  hai'rier  of  alien  bayonets  between  liiin 
and  'us  wife  and  .son.  and  cut  liiin  otV  from  his  mother  aiiii 
his  br'others. 

Abandoned  and  solitar\  iu'  received  Ms  sentei  c  nf  ban- 
ishment to  Klba.  IJis  spirit  <,'ave  way  under  the  i)urdciis  tliat 
pitiless  fate  was  heapinc-  up()n  it,  and  ho  tui'ued  to  tlu'  oM 
familiar  eompaiuon  of  his  melancholy  moods.  This  <lark- 
visaij;ed  mate  had  walk(  d  with  him  in  his  unhappy  yuth  on 
the  banks  of  the  Hhoiie  and  the  Seine.  They  had  trainpt'i 
to<iretlier  the  snows  of  Russia,  when  in  the  retreat  from  Mosi'O'v 
hi-  had  armed  himself  with  Frederick  the  (Ireat's  favourih' 
weapon  aiTamst  Jiiisfortune  and  carried  in  his  pocket  ,i  littl- 
bottle  at;  the  sure  means  of  escape   from   the   hunuliatio'.i  of 


Tin:   KlI^ST  Ar.DICATloX 


;{it!) 


aptiiii-.  .MdiToMi-.  Iiiiil  lie  not  uaiiicd  Kiiij,'  .Joscjih  in  Fcl)- 
ruan  that  lie  uoiHd  ilii-  if  I'aris  I'd!.' 

Kvcii  this  fririKl  jiiiivid  I'aillilfss  arnl  ri'fu.sod  to  do  liis  bid- 
(iiiii:.  His  \iol('iit  siiL  ii'ss,  aftcf  taking'  tlif  diMiL',  ai'ousrd 
his  atti  ndnits,  and,  thoii'_'li  lie  lnj^'iird  his  physician  for  an- 
iitiiiT  and  nioi'i'  cfficaiions  [loison,  he  was  saved  from  suicide. 
"Kvcry  one,  evei-ythin^'  lias  beti'ayed  me,"  he  grieved. 
"Fate  has  (heided  ;   I  am  condemned  to  live!" 

The  Allies,  after  considerin^r  Corfu,  Corsica  and  Elba,  bad 
ilmscii  till'  latter  island  as  the  jilace  of  exile.  They  pieseiited 
'I  N.iiHileon  a  fornial  Ireatv-  -the  Treatv  of  Fontainebleau — 


;t^    i']lll|ic|'o 


ded  to  liini  its  few  S(|uare  miles  and  reco^rnised  him 


r  of  the  tinv  realm.      Hv  this  same  irisirument,  tin 


,11'- 


li\     Italian   duchies   of    Tarma,    IMacentii 


I    and    (iuas 


taih 


\\.  !■  Ill  xtowed  Upon  Marie  i.,ouise,  who  was  still  to  \\e,.r  the 
iiilr  (if  limpress,  while  the  Kin^'  of  Kome  was  to  be  the  Dul<e 
of  I'aniia. 

.\;i'  I'  .\apok»on  had  boen  thi'ee  wi'oks  a*'  Fontainebleau,  tho 

'."riii'ii:  came  for  his  dei>arture.     l-'our  comnussioners  of  tl'e 

.\'ii'S.  an    \ustrian   f,'eneral.  a'     Kntrlish   colonel,   a    I'rnssian 

iiiiiit  and  a   litussian  jjeiieral,  had  ari'ived  at   the  chateau  to 

-  ■■  that  tile  treaty  with  the  new  soverei-rn  of   Klba  was  ful- 

'.<■<]. 

rii.^  (>lil  (.'uard  were  drawn  up  in  the  Court  of  the  White 
ll'tN.'  |(ir  their  last  review  when  the  Emperor  descended  the 
ll'ii'solioe    Stair,     Standing'    by    his   earriatre    door,    he    bade 

'111  farewi  II  in  clear,  ringing  tones,  concluding  with  these 
■.VMfiK: 

r^  •  ahv.Tvs  I'nithfiil  in  the  path  nf  .Inty  nnd  hniionr.     Sorvo  with 

Hiiehty   Vdur  new   soxcreiuii.      The    sweetest    (icciij)ati(>ii    el'    my    Ht'e 

I'.Piicet'iirtii   will   he   tci   make   known    to    puslerity   all    that    you   have 

"III',  iiiiil  i::y  mily  (■(insdlalimi  will  he  In  Icani  al!  that    France  may 

"  t'lT  llic  Liii.ry  dt'  licr  name. 

You  are  all  my  ehildreti.  i  canmit  emhrace  you  all.  hut  1  will 
'iiibrai-e  vuu  in  the  pcr>"n  of  your  l  iicr;.!. 

Alt.  r  lie  had  foKled  the  general  in  his  arms  and  kisst^l  him 
u  I'ltlier  <  h.M'k.   the  standani  of  the  (Juard.  surmounted   bv 


■f  'I 


40(1  I\  TIIK   I'ooTSTKI'S  oV  XAI'OI.KON 


ail  ra>_'li'.  uiis  lii'diiu'ht  to  liiin.  .'iimI  fiii'  li;ilt"  a  miiiuti'  lir  IkM 
it  to  |]i>  liriiiNl.  'Iliiii,  iii'iiiiL'  lll^  hiiml,  in'  >ai(i  to  iiis  sdijiiinij 
\rtrrniis,  ■■.\tii('Ul      l\i'i  |i  iiK'  ill  your  I'riiirmliraiicc. " 

'i'lir  tortures  he  had  i'IhIuitiI  at  l*'oiitaiii<'li|c'au,  wlhii'  ]m 
iiiarsliais  ami  t'ollowri's  aliaihloiird  him,  were  inflirtfd  aiU'W 
ahMiL'  till'  I'outc  of  his  .ioiirii''y.  w  hrrr  tiic  |>co|ih'  rami'  oiii  nnl', 
to  lirap  ciiisrs  iijioii  him.  And  this  on  the  \i  ry  I'oad  uhric. 
on  his  rrtiirn  from  Iv.'ypt  hss  than  liftrcii  yrai's  lii-fort'.  he 
had  hri'ii  haih'd  witli  loyfui  ai-rianiatioiis  as  the  lihcrator  aii'l 
dt'livcr'cr  of  l-'ranrr  ' 

Aftt'f  a  Week  (d'  iiinnminy,  he  rode  into  the  town  of  I''rrjih. 
whiTc,  on  ''indinj  from  his  l';L.'>|ilian  fam|i.iii_'n,  he  had  ff- 
(■i'i\fd  a  (h'lifioiis  u'lTi'tiii^'  as  thr  sa\ii)ur  of  the  country  fi'om 
the  Allies  anil  the  lioui-hons.  Now  as  he  stipped  ahoai'd  ili'' 
British  wacship  I' iKhninh  d,  lie  welcomed  tl'i'  llau'  of  his  iiicst 
liated   foe  as  a  fefu'_'e  and  a  proteetioii  ffom  his  own  |ico|ik'. 

I'lvcM  as  fill  i'liiiperor  was  hoafdini:  the  V  iiddnnti  d,  \\\c 
l']tnpi'ess  and  the  Kini:  <d'  Koine  were  heini;  conducted  within 
the  lines  of  the  Austrian  army  at  Dijon.  The  Allies  luul 
taken  away  not  only  his  iiinpirc  hut  his  wife  and  hoy  fis  well. 
After  all  Mafic  Louise  was  only  a  troph\'  of  \ietor\',  a  Ims- 
tau'e  which  Austria  had  irixcii  to  the  coii(|ueror,  and  now  slif 
and  her  son  were  eonvoyed  out  of  I-' ranee  alon<;  the  same  roml 
liy  which  the  Army  of  the  Soverci).Mis  liad  ninrched  as-'ainst 
her  hushand. 

Death  next  joined  the  Allies  and  reinforced  the  battalions 
of  sorrows  tiiat  were  assailin<r  Napoleon  on  all  sides.  Jose- 
|>hinc  had  not  seen  the  i^miieror  since  he  starteil  on  his  fatii! 
|ilune(>  into  the  Russian  wastes,  and  she  no  lonjrer  spoke  his 
name.  While  lie  was  hreastiiur  the  waves  of  iiivailers  in  tlu' 
valli'V  of  the  Seine,  she  sat.  listless  and  tearful,  anioiiL'  Inr 
ladies  at  -Malmaison.  niaiuiiir  handatres  for  the  wounded. 

After  the  fall  of  I'aris.  she  received  a  call  fi'oiii  the  (Var. 
who  picd'.ed  his  pi-otection.  l!ut  she  was  trouhled  less  ahout 
herself  than  ahoiil  her  eliildi-en.  ".Must  I  ajrain  see  tlifiii 
wanderiiej-  and  destitute.'"  she  siirhed.  ''The  thnuixht  is  kill- 
iiiLT  iiie.""  Alexander's  kindness  aioused  in  her  the  hope  lliat 
he  rniLrht  he  their  protector.     Her  cordial  welcome  onconraL'cil 


tin;   first  AI'.DICATIdN 


401 


him  to  inMii'  iiL'iin   aail   n'_'aiii   to  (iinc   wiih   licj-  auil  siroU 
111  lii>r  liuui  red   paths. 

RussijiM  t-'fiiiid  (hikes  mill  (Jcrniaii  princt'S  liasti'ii'ii  out  to 
tilt'  I'liati'aii.  ami  fvrn  tin  Kiiiir  of  i'nis->ia  hnitij^'iit  the  twu 
sons  of  ((|uc'iii  iiiiiiis.'  Id  SIT  ihr  wii'r  of  tlif  victor  <il  .Iriia 
,.  i  tlif  t>  rani  it\'  Tilsit.  Only  tlir  l!iii|Hr')i'  of  Austria  balked 
lit  till'  siiiiL'rsI  inii    that    he   |ia\    his  ropiits  \i>   .Mari'    l,oiiisc's 


iiir  iin-di'i-cssor 


I'.ut    .fosepi 


nil'     siini 


W 


i\     not,    iiidfcd 


It   IS 


Hot   I   whom  hf  has  di'thrdmil.  hut  his  nun  dau'.^hti'r 


riiiit'i-    the    patioiiai.'!'    of    the    .\ilirs,    Maliiiaisoii    hcraiin'   a 
I'liurt  ai:ain.      in  llii'  midst  of  the  mrirv  sci'ihs.  howcvrr.  .losc- 


'liiiic  ail 


luit   it    was  oiilv  a  col 


■r  |ih\sician  urdci'r 


licr  to  hid.  iuit   she  ]icrsistcd  in  her  anxious  attentions  to  ll 


iH-w  masters  of   her   destiii\-    and   of   liei    elii 


Idrell's.      Hi!    th 


(lay  of  liei-  death,  she  insisted  on  hi-in'_'  dressed   in  a  heaiitifiil 

rolic-de  eh;iinhre.   and    we  are   luld    tll,  t    \\  iell   slu^    Weji-dllled    her 

silent  deliverer  from  a  straii'_'e  and  ti'oiihh'd  life,  she  lay  in 
liiT  pretty  rihhous  and  rose  satin,  murmuiin  of  "  lidiiapartc" 
„inl  ••I'.ii.a." 

ihr  hody  was  hornc  into  tlic  vil!a'_'e  chunh  of  IJiieil,  where 
it  rests  hesidc  the  altar  in  a  marhlc  tomh  iTecleil  liy  her 
■iiii'ii'ii.  Ahove  it.  her  seul|itured  liiTiire  kneels  in  prayer, 
while  across  the  ehui'ch,  lior'teiise  lies  in  a  tomh  which  ner 
son.  Napoleon  III,  inserihed  to  the  '■(iaiiLrhter  and  sister  of 
\;i]iH|i(in  I."'  Far  away  in  the  .\cw  World,  another  shrine 
'"  :li''  iiieiiiory  of  Josephiii'  rises  hy  the  sli.^rc  of  her  native 
.M:iitiiiii|iie.  where  ill  tli(  shade  of  palms  at  Fort  de  France, 
'i."  Civiilc  I'jiipress  stands,  trraspinir  her  imperial  rohes  with 
li'T  ri'.dit  hand  while  her  left  rests  upon  a  nietlallion  of 
^aiKjli'on. 


MICROCOPY    RESOLUTION    TEST    CHART 

ANSI  and   ISO  TEST  CHART  No    2 


1.0 


I.I 


1.25 


1^ 


■  40 


1.4 


II  2.5 

II  2.2 

12.0 
1.8 

1.6 


^  /APPLIED  IM^GE     Inc 

7—  ''  i    East    Mom    S'feef 

r^  '>estef.    Ne«    ''ork         1*609        jSA 

i^=  *6)    482  -  0300  -  Phone 


ClIAI'TKK'  XiA'l 


npi 


K.MI'KKOH  OF  ELBA 

1S14-1815      AGE    14-45 

[HE  monarclis  of  Kin'opc  who  sent  Xaitolcou  lo  Klba 
must  haw  hci'ii  ciidiit'd  with  a  rare  sense  of  Iniiiioiir. 
It  is  easily  tlie  hest  joke  in  liistofv. 

What  a  iiioekiii','  satire  it  was  to  ^'ive  the  (Jreat  ('ai)tu!n  a 
little  toy  army  and  navy,  crown  the  proud  kin^'inaicc"  Km- 
[lei'or  of  eijrhty-six  .sijuare  miles  of  rocks  in  the  midst  of  his 
native  .Mediteri'anean  and  hand  him  a  rattle  for  a  scc])tre— 
to  reduce  t!u>  Empire  of  the  mi'^hty  conqueror  who  had  amusi-J 
himself  by  disniemheriuL:  kinuidoms,  to  a  tiny  realm  three  to 
six  ndles  wide  and  luneteeu  miles  lonjj; — to  leave  the  captor 
of  the  capitals  of  Europe  in  possession  of  only  three  or  four 
wretched  iishinijr  villajres — to  make  the  sovereifjcn  of  soverei<nis 
ruler  over  12,U(M)  lishei'inen,  miners,  and  ^'oatherdsl 

The  nioekery  was  only  heifrhtened  by  the  choice  of  an  island 
whei-e  the  continent  he  had  lost  lay  in  full  view  of  the  exile. 
For  Elba  is  but  seven  miles  at  the  least  from  the  mainland  of 
Italy,  althoutrh  it  is  a  steamer  voyage  of  more  than  twvUv 
iinh's  from  I'ioinbino  to  i'ortoferrajo,  the  imperial  capital 
which  Napoleon  exehanu'ed  for  Paris. 

The  town  of  Portoferrajo  forms  a  dcliuditful  drop  curtain 
for  the  opera  boufle.  which  was  stajjed  there  and  which  en- 
joyed a  continuous  run  of  just  I'OH  days  and  ni'_dits.  .\t  the 
top  of  the  scenic  picture,  outlined  a'_'ainst  the  turquoise  sky, 
two  massive  iiut  now  senile  forts  frown  down  in  an  amusingly 
meiiaciuij:  way.  lieneath  them  the  stony  ])ink  lit'li'  town 
han.trs  on  for  its  life  to  the  steeji  side  of  a  hill,  while  the  an- 
cient town  wall  ziLTzasrs  down  to  the  shore,  where  it  thrusts  a 
long,  bended,  protectiuL'  arm  into  a  pei'fect  harbour. 

40:2 


EMPEROR  OF  ELBA 


403 


(")i!t  over  tlio  ond  of  tliis  liufrc  cruint)!!!!^  wall  haiifrs  an  old 
■,\:it'  ii  tower  and  out  of  a  window  in  this  sentry  box  idly  leans 
•lilt  uiifailin;,'  delij:ht  of  tourist  eyes — a  hersiijrliere.  with  his 
nrit'  over  liis  shoulder  and  liis  liuneh  of  loni,'  eoeks'  featiiers 
'I'iiilinir  from  liis  hat.  Around  the  end  of  the  wall  the  steamer 
.' !;  i  ^  into  the  sn\ij,'  little  mole  behind  it  anil  ties  uj)  at  the 

-■.ill'-  (llh'k. 

At  the  shore  end  of  the  doek  rises  the  aneient  town  f^ate, 
•:,!iiiuh  whieh  the  visitor  i)asses  at  once  into  the  ^-ery  Po -to- 
'.'■I'lajo,  unehanfrinjr  in  its  i»etrifieation,  whieli  was  set  a^osx 
>,t  li'.'ht  o'clock  in  the  niornin<j:  of  the  :5d  of  May,  in  the  year 
:^U,  when  the  lookout  descried  a  iiritish  man-of-war,  under 
mil  sail,  beariim  ilown  upon  the  town. 

When  Napoleon  eame  ashore  the  next  afternoon,  the  j^uns  of 
Fort  Stella — tJie  fort  of  his  new  star — boomed  over  the 
nnviled  rooftops,  and  he  was  conducted  to  the  cathedral,  where 
!•■  knelt  in  tlu  doorway  while  the  Te  Deum  was  sinii:-.  Ten 
rnwdrd  years  stretched  between  that  month  of  May,  when  lie 
'A,is  liiiiled  Emi)eror  of  Elba  and  another  May  when  he  had 
ii'.-n  ieehiimed  Emperor  of  the  French — the  two  extremes  of 
iinp'-rial  fortunes. 

Two  of  his  irenerals  had  followed  him  into  exile.  General 
H'itiaud  was  frrand  marshal  of  the  palace,  while  the  military 
LTi'Viiuor  was  General  Drouot,  the  artillery  commander  whose 
'."ins  were  wont  to  fj;ive  the  finishing'  touch  to  Napoleonic  vic- 
tories on  the  l)attlefield.  The  imperial  household  also  neces- 
-•arily  had  its  prefects  of  the  jialace,  its  court  chaplain,  its 
iliamiit-rlain,  its  physician,  its  musical  director,  its  keeper  of 
the  wardrobe  and  its  footmen  and  ushers. 

An  army  lieutenant,  although  a  prey  to  violent  seasickness, 
wa.sthe  commander  of  the  fleet,  which  consisted  of  the  flagship 
Inconstant,  a  rotten  old  French  ])vU^  of  sixteen  fruns  and  sixty 
"U'li:  the  C(iruli)if,  of  one  ^un  and  sixteen  men;  the  feluccas 
Ahdilc  and  MoucJk  ,  each  with  eii:lit  men,  and  the  xebec 
h>i'iJi  of  six  ^nins  and  sixteen  men.  The  foremost  figure  in 
'lie  army  was  Cambronne,  a  Liallant  fire  eater  of  the  Old 
'iiiard.  who  declared  tiiat  his  "uniform  and  its  very  lininfr" 
'omniaiuled    him    to    follow    Napoleon.     Arrivin;,'    at    Porto- 


1! 


-Ik-,..™ 


404 


IX  TliK  FOOTSTKl'S  OF  XAI'(-Li:o\ 


f.Trajo  with  700  ,„.„  of  th.  (iu.nl.  son...  ,i,a..  alnT  ,l,o  V, 
:"•"  ''^^i   '--■'»  s..t  up,  tlie  veteran,  at  .si.^ht  of  the  F    p er 

I  1  s  uco.d  One,,  the  an.iy  was  eoinph.telv  or-anise.i  it  on 
s-.sted  of  a  Corsiean  hat.alion,  ,he  Polish  hin,.,.,;.  a  ,n an  e hi 
-m.n.ent     an.l    the    ,rena<l,e,-s   aud    .-has.eurs   of  0 

<-K;nl,  with  a  ,n-aMd  total  of  l.;.)U  offieers  and  men 

Fli..    I'^'l'.'  '"'^  "'^"'■""'  "^  ^''^'  ^^"'»^^'  follow  Napoleon  I 

L  ha    hut  Ins  war  hors..  also  ..nne  to  eat  th..i,.  oats  i  .  1..  s 

It'dl     liTu""'       ;    '^'^'  '''''''  ''■"''  '''^'-'•-"'  -»'«  I-v^' 
Md   home  to  the  eonqu.st  of   Vienna  an<l   the  eapture  of 

';:u.r;v"-""-  T!""''-"'----'-^-""i"i-tnut:wh:., 

Sp.nn  0    Kussia  or  Gennany.  had  sp.d  hin,  down  the  hill  frou 
tlH  C/ar   had  nevertheless  returned  to  llussia  as  an  invadin- 

bin;:^.t"te,s.''^''''^'''^^^''"^^-^"'^^^-^^«^^'^-°^^ 

-\'or  did  the  liorses  laek  for  exercise.  Lnperial  pro-nss.. 
IZ^'^T^^T-Tr'''"'''''-     ^'^   '-  .-hi   eoaeh'.dha! 

luot^  V"l     ""  '    ''V'"^^"'""'  ^'■^^^'^"'^  ^'^''i^  ^vhips  even 

coasted   dow.i   the  perpendicular  streets  of  the   capital    hi; 

.ra,u    .narslnd    his  ndlitary  governor  and  his  .roomsj  h  " 

e  li  t  eV     !?•     "V^'^'."«t  P'-^^-^  ""til  he  had  visi  e<l  nil 

1  len    seattenntr    flowers    in    the    imperial    patluv  v.   with 
IH  ehantmg  Te  Deums,  hravely  tried  to  outrival  one  an- 

otiu'i  m  honourin<r  their  .sovereit^'n. 

wJln  ^''"''l''^''  ^''a.-iously  niade^.h.e  allowance  for  the  awk- 

.  ,no  rr  ^"f 'f '•-'  '•"-■tiers,  whose  insular  and  pastoral 

no  racy  never  before  had  i,een  calle.l  upon  to  rendl.r  hone 

in   ..n     V  ''■""■';:■'.'"■;"'•     ^^''-"'  '">^v.'ver,  a  militia  ser.eant. 
010,%"   •.'"'''  '"•'  '^''™'''^'>'  t««  vi.'orouslv  aided 

.^    o"ti  '"'",'?'''/■  ^^'"^  pitching  him.  ki.kin^  and  protest- 
lug  into  the  saddle,  he  could  not  eondone  such  conduct  on  the 


EMPEIiOR  OF  ELBA 


405 

.f"  tl,..  very  first  for.ni.W.t  of  ),is  rnl^./ti,.  fn,,s  an.l  tl.o 
iiiiius  Were  iiisnccti'd    .,,,,^.+  ^p  *i  -   .   >  ■<    iuii>,  and  tiie 

-'i  -"'•V  "u/l  .^1    i,    t    i         ;'  '"«"""""-^  ^-••^"  a.s.H.nd.a 

*-PuMi.-  iM.prov.     'i   s        V  /    T>     ■      '  ''""  '"'  '"'""""^^ 
took  to  the  sa  1  11  V    .n  ,      n  t',"  T;''^"?  ™"'^  '''^'^  «'^''  ^"■ 

stret.h  a,Hi  "working  the  fh.!.  off '"tl        o  "   of  ,■     ,""  '"   ''- 
to  'i-t.,  aeain  tho  ..hroniel,.  of  the  Em  ^  ''  '''"'  "'"' 

\\li"n  fi..  had  c'onipl,.t,..l  i,is  exi.Ioration  of  Flh«    J,      •  .     , 
t;"'  -or.  islands  and  sailed  awav    o  the  i^.tl.   wieA       7'      , 
'■■  -.-l^"'t  islet  of  i>iano.sa,   inhah  ted  o     v         I^  ',' ?"'"' 

"•■■i  of  expansion  the  island  oi  I'    ,,   •  ,  "f  *    '^-     ^"  ^^'^^  same 
fortilird.  almaiola  also  was  annexe.l  and 

H.ivin-  surveyed  and  or^ranised  liis  Emnire    th.  r 
'-•t  turned  to  the  erection  of  his  i  np    iaTml     '      7"" 

-;;->■  of  Lis  i„f„„:y.  tii ,","';;;,  :'~":,^:;:.:"' ' -'■  «■■  f'- 

''""ar.arte    First   Poncni     r  t,-  ""^   ^""'*''"  """'''r 

F-.'h  r„i,.  i'lhe"'":'!,"'   """"■■  "-'^  """■'"  '°  -»'"-'■ 

-*l  III.'  foot  of  each  of  ihosp  strn.t.st,.,,.,v„,-,  i:«  rt,  i,.,,.,  .  ._ 


406 


l.\  TllK  I-'OOT.STKI'S  OF  XAPOLKOX 


wlul.'  Fort  Stclh,.  the  .Mulini  pahuv  ami  Fort  Falronc  staiP 
111  a  row  at  tlie  tu|>.  The  .Muliiii,  w  hid,  is  tlif  property  of  tli 
Italian  wvcninirnt  now,  r.'ally  is  no  palace  at  all^  but  , 
s.'vrivly  plain,  iiio.l.st  ilwlliinr,  its  jjlasteivd  walls  rising'  on, 
and  two  stories  from  a  little  publie  s(iuare,  the  I'ia/.zale  ,\a 
polroii.'.  Some  offieials  are  now  installed  in  it,  hut  tli  .M-.n 
.sluitlers  are  ti-htly  elosed  on  the  Hiiii)eror's  own  special  a'i)art 
incuts,  which  are  silent  and  untenanted,  save  for  the  spider* 
that  SMiu  their  wehs  in  the  hare  rooms  where  once  Xapoleon 
lumself  wove  a  clever  little  web. 

At  the  end  of  the  house,  a  stone  wall  shuts  in  the  vard  but 
the  custodian  swin-s  the  -ate  on  its  creakin-  lun-es'the 
visitor  j.asses  ni  between  two  stone  {.osts,  on  which  cannon 
balls  are  pil^d.  and  is  iii  th,"  haunted  stillness  of  the  littlo 
dooryard  -arden  of  the  imperial  exile.  Jt  is  still  frajirant 
with  the  bl(K.m  of  (lowers,  and  in  a  circle  of  i)uri)le  lilies  stands 
a  marble  Minerva,  the  statue  and  the  encirelin-  flowers  ,•0111. 
binmj:  to  sn^'u'cst  the  warrior  who  put  on  th.>  purple.  There 
are  also  a  palm  and  a  pine  tree,  whieh  seem  to  syuibolise  the 
wide  rule  that  lie  exchanizcd  for  his  island  empire 

Did  he  not  boast  that  ••!  overlook  Europe  from  mv  win- 
dows .  ^\  ell,  there  are  the  windows,  ^dvinj;  on  the  garden. 
Ihere  across  the  Hower  i>atch  is  the  parapet  of  the  little  ter- 
race,  han-ni-  hi-h  above  the  blue  Tyrrhenian  Sea,  and  there 
IS  Kurope.  away  otT  throu^di  the  cerulean  haze,  where  the 
mountains  of  Italy  break  the  horizon. 

The  St.  Cloud,  or  suburban  palace  of  the  Elban  Empire 
lies  about  three  miles  from  Portoferrajo's  onlv  t^'ate,  which  is 
made  tr.'I)ly  tlitiicult  for  assailants  and  invaders  bv  takin"  the 
lorm  of  a  Ion-,  dark,  twistin-  tunnel  tbrmiph  the"  broad  wall. 
Just  outside  the  -ate,  tl).>  smokestacks  of  a  modern  steel  mill 
smud-e  the  azure  sky.  Beyond  the  mill,  the  dusty  road,  the 
only  road  from  the  town,  stretches  about  the  beautiful  little 
iKiy  until  the  pil-rim  to  San  Martino  leaves  it  for  the  bvwav 
that  winds  up  a  pretty  -reen  hill  where  Napoleon's  sinmie 
suburban  retreat  nestles  in  a  sylvan  shade. 

Uere  the  banished  h.rd  of  all  Europe  settled  down  to  the 
task  ot  tillin-  a  lew  acres  of  earth  and  to  establishing  a  farm 


X 

Icoiic  stand 

)vrty  of  tlif 

all,   but   u 

I'isiii^'  one 

iazzalf  Na- 

t    th      ^Trcn 

-'(•ial  a|)art- 
thf  spidiTs 

'    XapulrfiU 

'  yard,  but 
liiiirt's,  tln' 
ch  caijiinii 
'  the  little 
I  frajrraiit 
Hi'.s  statuls 
)\vers  cnm- 
k'.  Then' 
iboHst.'  the 

1  my  win- 
K'  garden, 
little  ter- 
aiid  there 
wliere  the 

n  Empire 
,  which  is 
takiiii:  the 
road  wall. 
steel  mil! 
road,  the 
iful  little 
lie  liyway 
I 's  sinijile 

vn  to  tlii' 
i<r  a  farm 


i 


KMPEROR  OF  ELBA 


4()'; 


thiit  ^Imiilil   he  a   luodr] 

(if    lllllll'i'lTX'    tiTcS    llllil 


for  liis  siilijfcts.     lie  plaiitri]  a 
III'   iiii  riiduiTil    ilic   pdtalo   info  tl 


iri'iAc 
]<■   is- 


laiiil.  I'>ut  a  talilct  on  a  wall  in  iim-  (if  the  liandrts  thus  n-- 
(•(jnis  iiis  overthrow  as  a  iiloiiLlnnan  :  "  Napoleon,  while  pass- 
iliir  hy,  look  tlie  plonuh  I'l'iini  a  peasant,  lnit  the  o\en  relielled 
aL'ainst  the  hands  that  had  ^'uided  I'Jii'oiie  and  liruke  away 
fmiii  the  t'uri'ow." 

Since  the  Kmpei'or  was  I'esolved  to  lie  a  fai'nief,  San 
tiiin  is   Inif   a   i'ariiihouse  of  twelve   luodest   si/ed   r 
I'vni  less  ])alatial  than   the  -Mulini.      Its  two-st 


.M 


ir- 
ooiiis  and 


oi'\-    Icont   eon- 


lel'e 


He    nsill'. 


tiU'ts  into  a  one-story  eottatre  in  the  nar,  wl 

hill  <iifs  otV  the  lowei'  floor,  and  whithei'  the  dri\e\vay  leads. 

Tli>'  enti'anec.  therefore,  is  to  tlie  np|iei'  iloor  and  into  the 
Ihill  nf  the  I'yraiuiils.  A  sunken  fountain  is  in  the  centre 
of  'liis  room,  the  walls  of  which  are  covered  with   imitation 


coluiinis  and  carving's  that  s( 


line  suiii 


le  artist  of  tiie  iiuniatui 


I'liipin 


1  nlii 


■rudely  (Iesi<^'ned  to  recall  the  eamitaijxii  on  tlie  Nile, 
of  the  columns  the  Emperor  caused  to  \)o  painted  this 


inscription,  calculated  at  onco  to  taunt  and  reassure  tl 
arelis  who  sent  him  to  Elli; 


le  moil- 


The  room  of  General  iJertrand,  the  <rrand  marshal,  opens 
from  one  side  of  the  Salle  des  Pyramides,  while  on  the  other 
side  is  the  imperial  salon,  where  two  doves  flutter  in  the  blue 
sky  that  overspreads  the  eeilin<r,  the  Emperor  haviii>r  com- 
iiiaiKl.'d  that  they  '"he  fastened  together  by  a  cord,  the  knot  of 
"lii''li  ti-htens  the  farther  they  fly  a|iart."  It  was  the  exile's 
ixprission  of  his  hope  and  lon^in<x  for  ^larie  Louise.  Alas. 
niily  a  ribbon  unites  the  doves,  while  swords  and  bayonets  cut 
asniidcr  the  imperial  pair. 

Ill  the  next  room  beyond  the  salon  of  the  doves,  the  Em- 
peror slept.  Helow  liis  chamber,  down  a  ste-^p  stair,  which 
has  niiK'  ;>  »'i>no  iti   rii.ini%  4^f  n   >n..;f+..i.  >.r, ;i    ;.. 


i,..<i,.. 


4()S 


IX  Till';   I'OOTSTIII'S  OK  .\.\i'(ilj;n\ 


Tlirr'.'  iilxivp  his  iiuii-Mr  tiili  tlh'  ii;ikr,|  liL'iiiv  ,,r  Tniili  \n\'u\U-H 
'*"  ''"■  \\'ill-  '■oiiliMur>  1(1  |i,.,.r  into  ;i  tiiin,,!'  uitli  this  mora! 
insrrij,,.,!  l„.|,,\v  :     ••  |I,.  uIk.  Iiahs  ih,.  tnitli.  iiatr^  tiir  liirlit." 

Tlic  cliiifiii  (if  S;iii  .\l;irtino  iirs  not  wiiiiiii  its  now  liaro  and 
iiltriosr  liiiiiiMr  \\;ilU.  Init  nut  (,!'  ,io(ii-s.  wlnrc  Niiluiv  was  the 
mipriiiil  fufiiish.T  ;iii(i  .i,M-,)ratnr.  Tlin-f  one  may  tivad  Xa- 
I'l'l'oti's  path  iiiti)  the  (Icptlis  of  a  lovrly  -fovc  oviT  a  siii'.'iii!.' 
lirook  aiKJ  to  tlir  spfini,',  wIhtc  lie  usrd  to  lijl  liis  Iraliiciai  iiiji. 
Or  llic  visitor  may  strp  ftom  lli.-  imperial  Miiti-  in  tlir  Imiisf 
out  upon  the  ti'iTa'v  uli,-iv.  with  his  spy  -:hiss  poiiitcl  straij;lit 
.-ilh'ad.  the  Km|)rfor  cnuM  rxainini'  every  sail  enterimr  the 
iiarhoiir  of  I'ortofeirajo,  and  by  turning  a  little  to  th.'lcft, 
could  survey  the  forts  and  roofs  of  his  capital. 

I.ontr  after  the  l]lhaii  exile  was  over  and  .'veii  six  fct  of 
earth    sufficed     Xapoh^on.    San     .Martiuo    was    |)ureha-eil    hy 

i'lince  Demidotr,  the  hushaiul  of  I'rii ss  Mathilde,  daui:ht."r 

of  Kin<r  Jerome  I'.onaparte.  rnfortunatejy  the  i'rince  was 
not  so  iiuich  interested  in  preserving'  the  simplicity  ef  the 
place  as  in  glorifyimr  his  unde-in  law.  In  his  niisdirerteil 
zi'al  he  set  up  a  hiu'li  iron  f,.n..e  of  trold-tipped  spears  ;iml 
costly  oriuite  -atcs  with  bees  and  eairle.s  and  wreatiies  wrought 
in  them. 

I  he  (-apital  offence  of  the  nepliew  liy  nuirria<jr<'  was  the  omc- 
tion  of  a  hiir  stone  temple  with  hi^di  columns  and  pillars,  whirh 
he  [)lanted  .sipiarcly  in  front  of  and  airaiiist  the  villa  as  if  to 
liiiic  it  from  tho  world.  Ohtrusive  as  this  structure  is  when 
viewed  from  the  road,  liapi)ily  it  is  not  seen  from  the  house 
itself.  i)ut  disai)pears  beneath  the  terrace. 

The  Prince  intended  to  found  there  a  ^'reat  Napoleonic  mu- 
seum. He  had  no  more  than  gathered  together  all  the  relics  of 
the  Kmperor  in  the  island,  liowever,  than  his  f.'verish  interest 
HI  Kllia  seems  to  liave  subsided  and  the  collection  was  carried 
off  to  Florence,  vvh.'tice  in  time  it  was  dispersi'd  througli  the 
\yoi-ld.  Thus  the  Kll.ans  have  hacdly  an  old  shoe  or  hat  to 
show  for  their  vanished  Kmpire.  Fortunately  they  still  Inive 
the  walls  the  Kmperor  reared,  but  those  of  San  Martino  are 
held  in  a  pre,-arious  jn'oprietorship.  They  passed  from  the 
Demidotr  family  into  tlie  hands  of  ;in  islander  who  had  --'rowii 


i;.Mi'i:i>'<»i:  oi'  i:ij;a 


41)!) 


rirli  from  tlic  Elliiiii  iiiiiics.  Whil.'  tiiis  uru  lati.llnrd  wms  at- 
t.iii|itiii^'  to  till  thr  haiv  ral.iiins  n['  \\u-  niu.MMiiii  u-tli  a  natural 
hblory  r,,||,.rti,,ti,  h,.  I,, St  Ins  f,,rtuii.'.  aii.l  soiiie  Italian 
nvditors  tdok  his  |.ro|irft .v,  inrlu.ljni,'  tlir  liistdfic  Init  drsn'tid 
villa. 

When  III,'  hrat  of  the  south. ■in  sunnnrr  (h-scrrnhMJ  upon  San 
MiirtiliO.  a  still  siniplcc  alndniL'  plarr  was  ,|ios,.|i  \,\  thr  I-jii- 
l-rof.  This  was  in  thr  housr  of  a  ivii-jous  h.-cmil,  u  ho  trndnl 
111  altar  of  thr  .Mailoiiiia  hi'.'li  up  .Montr  (liovr.     On  thr  -j:.!)!)- 

"'  'liiiil.  alon-r  thr  stony  path  to  this  solitary  limnitau'.', 
'.'.Iiriv  the  altar  eandirs  aiv  still  kept  ImrninL',  tlir  travrll.T 
!•  ivrs  tlir  villairc  of  .Marriaiia  .Marina,  at  thr  sliorr,  and  pass.'s 
■  ""ii-h  thr  niounlaiii  hamlet  of  .Mareiana  Alta  to  the  .Ma- 
liuniia'.s  liinrly  rhaprl. 

Thrrr,  in  thr  latr  siinimrr  of  his  Elhan  year,  Xapolrou 
jM-.-d  a  fortnight  in  thr  four-room  stonr  hut  of  the  lirrmit, 
iiltlMHi-h  hr  rrally  sirpt  in  a  trnt.  Thrrr.  too.  is  a  rorky 
fliioiir-  Xapolrou '.s  scat,  it  is  callrd.  From  it  hr  looked  over 
t!;.'  amethystine  sea  to  the  northern  slopes  of  liis  native 
'  "ivi.-a,  with  tiH>  town  of  iiastia  shinin-r  white  atrainst  tiie 
V.  r'l.int  mountain  sides.  How  near  toj^etlier  Ins  two  islands 
'■■'ir,  and  yet  how  loiiir  the  path  hrtwerti  them! 

Tl,r  Klhau.s,  only  less  ea^'erly  than  the  Kmp.'ror,  watched 
iW  the  coming  of  .Marie  Louise  and  hrr  rhild.  Napoleon 
iiiniMlf  at  lirst  hoped  and  next  hejrired  that  those  who  had 
'■'-•■n  away  Ins  empire  would  restore  to  him  his  wife  and 
■"<n.     His  efforts  were  vain. 

Thr  politicians,  so  far  from  permitting  the  mother  and 
fliild  to  join  him,  would  not  even  let  them  go  to  their  allotted 
!"!iy,  h.'caiise  Parma  was  too  near  Elha.  They  separated 
•' '  i'.'nipress  and  the  hoy,  and  moved  her  ahout  from  place  to 
;'''•'.  like  a  piece  on  a  chesshoard.  At  lirst  she  mildly  hegged 
■ '  !  •■  allowed  to  join  her  hushand  in  his  e.xile,  but  "soon  her 
i'licr  brought  her  bax'k  to  her  girlhood  habit  of  obedi.'nco  to 
'"-  will.  And  almost  before  her  summer  wanderings  in 
^"it/.erland  were  over,  her  pliant  affections  were  quite  di- 
-'•"1  to  Count  Xeipperg,  an  ingratiating  courtier  whom 
^'''•ruich  had  craftily  chosen  to  attend  her. 


■Ill) 


IN  'I'll  I,  I'OOl'.SiKl'S  {)[■'  .\.\rni,i;(i\ 


'I'lii'  iniitliiT  (if  llir  I'.iiiprfipi-,  wliox'  pi'npli.t ii'  sdiil  liiul  fore- 
told the  cniiiiiiu'  III'  rainy  (l:i\  >  iiikI  wlmsr  iiia'iMial  tliiit'f  had 
niailf  |if">\  i>,i()ii  t'nr  tli  iii.  raiiir  to  liini  as  soon  as  In'  uas  I'jiirly 
.srlllr,!.  iiiil  sli''  railliliill)  .lavid  li>  liissl.l.-.  Mine.  .Mcpf's 
(•oiii|ianion  was  \\rr  ilaiiirlilfi'  I'auliiif.  Tli''  ln'i'dli'ss  (laii'ty 
of  this  I'i'iriccss  had  l)i'i  ti  Napoleon's  tnnnrnt  in  prosperity, 
Imt   How     lie  Just  lis  frail >  share<l  her  lirotlier's  fallen  t'ortiuies. 

'I'lie  next  of  the  imperial  hahilat  ions  the  I'iiiiperor  iluiso 
after  he  left  the  1 1  eiadta'je  was  hardly  less  uneonventiuiial 
and  roinantie.  This  was  an  old  eastle  at  I'orto  l.on'_'one,  the 
seeond  port  of  Mlha  and  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  isljiii'l 
from  i'ortoferrajo.  There  a  snite  id'  six  rooms  was  fitted  up, 
the  I'lmpeior  ehoosiii'jr  for  himself  a  turret  lookinir  out  upeu 
the  Italian  shoi'e. 

He  now  had  four  "i)alaees."  hut  Klhan  i)alaei'S  e;iine  elieap. 
A  tent  sut'lieed  on  Monte  (!iov(>,  ami  for-  I'orto  Lon^one  three 
iron  heds.  tuo  eai'i)i'ts,  a  few  plain  chairs  at  a  eost  of  $1  earh 
and    two  or    three   eipially   simple   ai'nii'hair's  and  sofas  wen' 

ordered.      Iiid I  the   fui'nishiii'^'s  of  the  citadel    were  aliunst 

as  severely  siiiijile  as  Ihey  ari'  to-day,  when  it  is  the  tjluoniy 
ahode  (d'  life  convicts  sent   from  the  mainland. 

The  conslT'Uction  or  selection  of  palaces  was  hut  a  diver- 
sion, an  innocent  pastime  of  the  island  l'"niperor.  Ilis  more 
serious  care  was  hestowcd  ui)on  the  welfare  of  Klha.  ^Vllile 
he  housed  himself  and  maintaini'd  his  tahle  with  almost  ascetic 
fi'UL'ality.  he  shared  will  the  local  officials  half  the  e.xpciise 
(d"  all  luililic  improveiiK  iits  that  he  ordered.  FindintJ  no 
loads,  he  built  them,  and  wisely  planned  a  eompleto  hi<_'liu;iy 
s\stem.  which  still  serves  the  eonveiiieiiee  of  tlie  peojjle.  who 
have  yet  no  railways.  It  was  uiuh'r  his  ins[)iratioii  and  diid'- 
tion  that  the  hushamlnieii  planted  ami  sowed  the  waste  placci^. 
and  the  lont,'-ii("_'leete(l  soi'  was  made  so  i)roductive  that  it 
supplies  now  nearly  all  th''  needs  of  a  impulation  threi'  or 
four  times  ^'reater  than  the  number  of  inhabitants  a  century 
ajro. 

Althouuh  it  was  a  tradition  amonfr  the  peoydo  that  climate 
and  earth  alike  were*  unfriendly  to  the  olive,  the  lemon,  the 
oran;_'e  and  the  mulberry,  lie  introduced  them  in  the  islaiui, 


EMl'KHOIt  OF  KLI'.A 


Ml 


ami  flif.v  iifc  floiirisliiiii;  tin  :•<•  to  tliis  diiy.  T"*^.'  (Icvi'lnpiil  aii 
al'iiiuliiiit  \wit'  r  ^U|'i'l>  airaM'st  sdixius  <iI  ilmntli  ninl  li^  iiii- 
|irovc(l  the  lnaltll  <il'  tlir  |it(i|ilr  li\  dlM  iliiliir  the  s\\;iiu|is  jiimI 
hy  liari'iii'^  lln'  iiiosiiiiitncs  Ifiiiii  iln-  spririL's  and  wtdls.  He 
alM)swt'iit  tlitj  strffts  aial  ^'a\r  thr  isliindcrs  tlnir  lirst  Ifssons 
HI  •Ifaidiiifss  Hiid  saiiitatidii. 

1  I  that  jiltriliiitc  w  liii  h  is  next  to  }.'ndliiifss.  tlic  rortofrrfajo 
(it  lii-dii\,  uiili  its  MHMi  |)coplc,  is  a  sliiiiiiiir  fxaiiii»l<'  and  as 
wi'll  stTulihcd  as  a  viilai,'!'  in  Holland.  Tlir  little  hotrl  wludi 
jicr[)»'tua1i-s  till'  lU'iimry  of  tlu'  iiii|"'i'ial  syndiol  in  its  n;iiin', 
"AlhiT^'f)  |'A|ii'  lOlliana "'— Inn  of  tlif  llHtaii  lice  .s  as  iliiiii 
and  ini[M'ftfndiii'^  as  the  town. 

Tlic  to\uis|n'(>|)li',  till'  I'lllians  as  a  wliolo,  ai'i'  in  kirjiini,'  with 
thrir  uiiii|iiL',  if  hricf  cliapt  r  in  liistofv.  'I'lir  wonn'ii  jirc; 
pretty,  modest  and  inodish,  the  men  kind,  honest  and  self- 
respect  in  u-  in  Iheir  weh'ome  of  tlie  stiaiijer  who  eoniis  amon^ 
tlieiii  seekirifif  the  sliriihs  and  iiiementus  of  the  llmpife  that 
rn«.e  and  fell  in  ten  months. 

The  custodian  of  the  iiimueipio,  a  veletan  of  Solferino, 
fTciitly  unfiirLs  in  tin;  salon  ot"  the  Ilmpeioi-  the  thiL;'  of  the 
Eiii|iin',  with  its  silver  Ijees,  and  the  lihrarian  proudly  dis- 
pliiys  tile  cherished  remnants  C)f  .X.ipoleon's  I-'dhati  lihrary. 
T!  '■  janitor  of  the  theatre,  for  a  cliureh  was  made  ovei*  into  an 
iiiijierial  theatre,  seats  his  callei's  in  the  l']m|)i'ror's  hox  to  wateh 
him  lower  the  oriirinal  drop  curtain,  witli  its  juctorial  allcirnry 
(if  Apollo  fallen  from  the  skies  to  shepherd  a  little  flock,  even 
as  Xapoleon  descended  from  the  throne  of  l']uropo  to  care  for 
the  Hlhaiis.  While  one  "ood  man  is  .howin*;  some  empty  wine 
bottles  which  he  treasures  hccause  they  hear  the  "X"  in  the 
laurel  wreath,  Siunorina,  his  dau<i:hter.  arrays  herself  in  the 
S-'own  her  ^reat-^'raiidmother  wore  at  the  imperial  court.  The 
Klhans  even  luive  a  youuL'  man  who  sut'lieiently  resembles 
their  Kmpi-ror  to  have  satisfied  the  reipiirements  of  the  oper- 
ators of  a  movintr  picture  concern,  when  they  came  to  make 
some  films  ui  the  exile  and  the  fliirht,  and  this  '"Xapoh^on  of 
ihc  .Movies"  has  become  an  added  exhihit  of  rortoferra,io. 

The  Empire  has  a  day  all  to  itself  in  the  island  e;t!eiidar. 
Tliis  dav  of  davs  is  the  5th  of  .May,  the  anniversary  of  the 


412 


I.\   Till-:    !••()(  )TSTK  PS  OF  NAI'OLKoX 


Kiiilii'i'or"s  ilciitli  nil  aiiotlii'!'  ishiiid  Ir-s  fai''.  llai'h  year.  Ilio 
custodian  (if  the  inuiiiriiiio  '^ivrs  tn  iIt  lirfv.i'  tlic  flajr  of  tlir 
Eiiipiri'  ami  solcum  sri'\irr.s  arc  iiclil  in  ilu-  clmi-cli  of  tlir 
.Misi-rccoi'dia,  whicli  is  Iniiitr  in  lilai-k  and  u'old.  J''i'oiii  a  nidn' 
in  flic  wall  licliind  doors  covrrrd  with  crowns  and  ca'^'lcs.  a 
coffin  in  imitation  of  the  Kmpci'or's  at  tlic  invalidrs  in  I'aiis. 
is  I'cN'rrcntly  ln'onuht  furlli  and  lioiaic  to  the  altar  I'ail.  ^\ll(■lv 
the  worshi|>|>ci's  passi'iL;'  liy  may  scr  throuuh  a  '^dass,  the  death 
mask  of  \a[)olcon  r(  stiiiLr  on  a  pillow  within  the  rot'fin.  This 
yeaj'ly  memorial  sci'vice  was  cstalilished  for  all  time  liy  a 
]ii'ov,sion  of  I'i'incc  Dcmidotf's  will,  and  the  I'l'ince  also  ht't 
a  icj^acv  for  the  poor  which  is  distriluitcd  on  cacli  otli  ^f 
May. 

N'isitors  to  Kllia  are  few  in  nnmlx  •  and  the  Ell)ans  liave  not 
liecn  tempted  to  commercialise  their  past  and  exploit  it. 
Tiiere  are  neither  guides  nor  Liiiide  l)i  of;s  in  the  little,  uii- 
soi)histicate(l  caidtal.  The  stui'dy  island  I'acc  is  yet  inl- 
awed by  the  condescension  and  uncoriaipted  liy  tiie  tips  of 
tourists,  who  pass  liy  with  tlic  thouirht.  |icrlia|is.  tlsat  it  iimst 
be  a  dreary  prison  i^le,  the  limbo  of  the  condemned,  instead 
of  the  I'are  little  <rem  that  it  really  is  on  the  jewelled  bosom 
of  the  tideless  sea. 


CHAPTER  XL^^I 

THE  KETUHN  FK(jM  ELBA 

1815      AGE    45 

NAPOLEOWS   r.'tnru    t'loni    Elba,   in   :\rareli,    181.'),   is 
Tlu'  iiiost  adventurous  exploit  in  a  litV  of  advuntun^. 
Vet  those  who  look  upon  ail  human  History  as  tlie 
:  rnsiii-  story  of  one  Ion-  stru^'j,'le  for  bread  and  butter  lure 
-I'   warrant  for  eonten.iino  that  in  eseapinu'  from  the  island, 
ni;iiehinL:  Oil  I'aris.  in  redaimiim  the  crown  of  Franoe  and 
-liliii-  the  Hattle  of  Wati'rloo,  he  was  not  inspired  by  a 
■     «\'  <'ountry  or  uloiy  but  iinpeUed   by  the  fear  of  hunWr 
■   i  I'overty.     In  a  letter  to  his  irovernmeiit  three  months  be- 
""■   iIk'   fliiiht,    the    British    eommander.    Colonel    Cami)bell, 
■xpivssed   the  o|)inioii   tiiat   the    Emi)eror  wouhl   contentedly 
I';i-<s  the  rest  of  his  life  in  the  island  if  he  received  his  pen- 
^:nii.  hut  that  if  he  was  left  without  an  income  he  would  prob- 
.iM\   t:ike  his  troops  and  cross  over  to  the  mainland. 

1!>  the  Treaty  of  Fontainebleau  at  the  time  of  the  abdica- 
'!"ii.  .\ustria,  Ku.ssia  and  Prussia  >iuaranteed  Xapoleon  the  sov- 
•  :-iity  of  Ell)a  and  a  yearly  income  of  :f;4(H),()()0  from  the 
I  'I'll  treasury,  while  his  mother  and  his  brothers  and  sis- 
'  :->  uei'e  to  receive  and  divide  amonsr  them.selves  $.")On,OnO 
,\'';ir.  The  duchies  of  i>anni,  Placentia  and  Guastalla 
^■yiv  pledLicd  to  .Marie  Louise,  and  after  iier.  to  the  Kin<:  of 
l'"!ii.>  and  his  descendants,  and  a  suitable  provision  was  to 
'"'  iii.KJe  for  Prince  Euycno  Peauharnais. 

X'Mie  of  those  promises  was  kept.  The  Allies,  who  sat 
'I'^'wii  ill  tile  Congress  of  Vienna  to  divide  the  spoils  of  their 
vituiy.  ua-v  Eu<:ene  nothing',  determined  that  the  son  c" 
^.liH.lion  .should  not  inherit   his  mother's  duchy  or  be  per- 

413 


414 


TX  Till-:  FOOTSTKri^  OF  XAPOLEOX 


niitt"<l  even  to  live  with  lier,  and  they  sutT.Tcd  tli(>  Bviurhon 
Kin^'  of  Franrc  to  withhold  ffoin  tliu  I-Jinpcror  the  annuity 
stipulated  in  the  ti'eafy. 

Altiiou-h  he  is  supposed  to  have  lu'oiiLdit  witli  him  from 
Fraii'-e  nearly  .tSOO,!)!)!),  Napoleon  l)et;an  to  feel  the  piimh 
iicntrly  as  tiie  months  went  by.  He  pi'essed  the  people  for 
their  taxes  until  tliey  riotously  rebelled  and  he  raked  toiietlier 
all  the  useless  old  tiuns,  and  shipped  them  to  Italy,  where  he 
sold  them  for  junk  and  where  he  also  found  a  'market  for 
sonic  mouldy  Hour  which  he  discovered  iu  the  commissariat. 
When  he  adopted  the  expedient  of  payinir  otV  with  due 
bills  on  the  Fivucii  treasui'y.  a  feelinu  of  homesickness  sjjread 
amon,<r  liis  troops  and  retainers  until  it  thi'eatened  to  heconii' 
epidemic,  and  the  ai'iny  dnindled  away  from  resiynaiions  and 
desertions.  And  the  soldiers  were  no  mere  ornaments  of 
the  Fmpire.  The  Empei'or  had  ori^anised  the  little  army  to 
defend  his  island  afzainst  the  ever-present  peril  of  the  Rar- 
bary  corsairs,  but  as  time  wore  on,  he  came  to  rc<:ard  it  as 
his  only  protection  from  assassination  or  deportation  at  the 
instance  of  the  allied  nations  themselves. 

Talleyrand  and  Louis  XVI 1 1  were  aiireed  that  he  should 
be  sent  fartiier  away,  to  the  Azons,  perhaps,  which  were 
some  800  miles  out  in  the  Atlantic,  or  to  St.  Lucia  in  the 
West  Indies.  liis  C'orsican  enemy,  Poz/.o  di  Borjio,  re- 
1)0.  ted  a  unanimous  sentiment  amonu'  the  statesmen  frathered 
in  Vienna,  for  his  remoxal  "from  the  eyes  of  Europe"  and 
"as  far  as  po.ssible."  Pozzo  himself  thought  St.  Helena  would 
be  an  excellent  choice. 

When  Talleyrand  declared  "we  must  hasten  to  set  rid  of 
the  man  from  Elba,"  Xapoleon  was  left  in  doubt  whetlur 
he  would  be  called  upon  to  defend  himself  from  kidnapers 
Oi"  assjissins.  The  choice  I'eally  had  narrowed  down  to  ahdu''- 
tion  or  as.sassination,  bankruptcy  or  fliuht  when  he  chose  the 
latter.  He  knew  that  France  was  si'^winii  restive  under  die 
reactionary  policy  of  the  Bourbon  ride  which  foreign  armies 
had  imjiosed  ow  the  eountry,  and  that  the  French  army  was 
tilled  with  the  spirit  of  revolt. 

As  he  wrestleci  with   his  ijrobleni  in  secret    he  retired  irinre 


THE  RETURN  FROM  ELBA 


415 


:  1  more  within  himself.  Colonel  Cain[)bell,  the  British  com- 
:i>Miiiier,  was  iiiipresseci  with  "sonu'thinj^  wild  in  his  air." 
When,  however,  the  eoloiiel.  in  the  inidtlle  of  Feiiruar.. ,  made 
I  piirtiiii,^  eall  before  ieaviriL:'  for  a  brief  absence  in  l*aly,  he 
fninid  the  Emiieroi'  "nnusually  dull  and  resei-ved,"  a[ipar- 
'htiy  interested  in  nothinu'  but  the  affairs  of  his  little  Em- 
piii',  its  road.s  and  bridues,  and  in  liis  farms  and  fjardens, 
ui.tli  their  eabba^es  and  onions  and  llower  beds.  X(>verthe- 
li'ss.  Campbell  had  liis  mis^dvinirs,  but  his  suspicions  were 
hiii'.'lied  away  in  Florence.  "When  you  return  to  Elba."  an 
iii>pired  Briti.sh  under  secretary  of  state  for  foreit'ii  atTairs 
~,ii(l  to  the  commissioner,  "you  may  tell  Bonai)arte  that  he 
i^  .|iiite  fonrotten  in  Europe.  Nobody  thinks  of  him  at  all. 
II''  is  ipiite  forL'otten — as  nuieh  as  if  he  had  never  existed." 

M.aiiwhile  the  Great  f^r<irotten  was  dividincj  his  attentions 
Intwcen  the  flower  beds  at  the  .Mulini  and  at  Fort  Stella, 
uliiih  his  soldiers  were  hiborionsly  preparin<r,  and  th.  eipiip- 
lipiit  of  his  leaky  little  navy  for  a  mysterious  cruise.  Ab.so- 
1  ii'ly  ]io  one  else  knew  when  or  whither  the  vessels  would 
Miii,  until  he  let  Mme.  .Mere  into  the  secret  the  liay  before  the 
il'pn-ture  and  received  the  blessin«z-  of  that  spartan  mother. 

Tile  next  day  was  Sunday,  and  there  was  a  levee  at  tiie 
Miiiiiii,  when  tlie  Emperor  astounded  the  company  by  frankly 
aiiiKmucint,'  that  he  should  quit  Elba  that  ni'_dit.  The  island 
wns  already  shut  in,  no  boat  having  been  permitted  to  leave  or 
•liter  any  of  the  ports  for  two  days.  All  tiie  while  the  grena- 
ili-rs  continued  to  pat  down  the  loam  in  the  garden. 

It  uas  not  until  five  in  the  afternoon  that  the  drums  beat 
to  arms,  and  an  army  of  1100  men  embarked  for  the  con- 
quest of  France,  on  a  flotilla  comprisiuir  the  bri^  Ivcansinnf, 
fif  :i<)0  tons  and  eiirhteen  ^uirs:  the  bombard  VKtoUe,  of 
'  iL'lity  tons,  and  five  feluccas  of  from  twenty-five  to  fifty  tons 
■:ii!i.  It  was  an  enchantint:  eveninir,  in  one  of  the  most 
I'lautiful  harbours  of  all  tlH>  Mediterranean.  The  Empej'or 
'^tood  on  the  (piarterdeck.  The  town  band  played  tbe  "Mar- 
seillaise." The  towns])eople  cheered  and  the  mayor's  teais 
•>11  upon  the  dock. 


li 


i,.,,i 


-1 


!jv  1 1  1-^  ij' i*.  •  :       l::c 


416 


IN  THE   KOOTSTHI'S  OF  XAl'OLEOX 


islander  on  this,  his  iiiitivc  sc.i  I  They  h:iil  liornc  him  a  fu'.'i- 
tivt'  I'i'uin  Corsica  to  Toulon  and  to  his  hrst  vic-toi'v.  Thiv 
hiid  parted  a  lane  Tor  him  throui^li  Nelson's  tieet  as  he  went 
to  liiid  an  emjiin-  in  the  east  and  as  he  returned  to  find  it  iu 
the  west.  The  \rry  soutli  wind  whieli  now  sped  him  haek 
to  his  throne,  lei't  Caniphell  sittin;;  helplessly  undei'  the  lazily 
flappinir  sails  of  the  British  wai-sliip  I'drtridiji  ,  becalmed  in 
the  harbour  of  Li'uhoi'ii. 

On  the  fourth  <lay  of  the  voya-jc  while  the  early  afternoon 
sun  was  irlowin^'  on  the  terraced  uai'deiis  of  the  Frencji  shore 
and  ylisteiiiiin  on  the  still  snowy  peaks  of  the  .Maritime  Alps, 
Napoleon  sailed  into  the  \\  ide  (iulf  .Juan.  On  one  side  oi 
the  hay  he  saw  the  island  of  .Maruuerite.  As  he  fjlanccd  at 
its  castle  walls  in  their  melancholy  beauty  I'isiiiL;'  from  the 
waters  he  must  have  thouuhl — as  who  does  not  .'—of  the  Pris- 
oner in  the  Iron  .Mask,  who  has  hft  his  mystery  climrinir  to 
them  forever.  Across  the  bay  on  the  other  side,  th"  roofs  of 
Antibes  nuist  have  called  to  his  recollection  another  prison-r 
— himself,  for  there  in  the  old  i:rey  I'ort  he  had  sat  in  the 
shadow  of  tlu'  <ruillotine  after  the  fall  of  Robespierre. 

How  often  the  V()ya<re  of  his  life  had  broujrht  him  to  that 
beautiful  Kiviera;  how  often  the  tide  in  his  affaii-s  had  home 
him  in  and  out  of  its  lovely  harbours!  In  the  west,  was 
Toulon,  whither  he  had  come  an  exile  from  Corsica  only  two 
and  twenty  years  before,  where  he  fought  his  tirst  battle  and 
whence  he  embarked  for  E<rypt.  Only  around  the  mountain- 
ous headland  to  his  left  was  the  jiort  of  Frejus,  where  he  had 
been  welcomed  home  from  the  Orient  and  whence  he  had  en- 
tered upon  his  Elban  banishment.  Heyond  the  Antihean 
Ca|ie  on  his  ri^'ht,  lay  Nice,  where  he  had  taken  command  of 
the  Army  of  Italy,  and  farther  alonu  was  Savona,  out  of 
which  the  Little  Corporal  sped  'ii  the  niuht  to  burst  into  fanie 
on  the  heiiihts  of  .Montenotte.  On  no  other  stage  had  he  so 
often  astonished  the  world.  Now  he  was  about  to  eclipse  all 
the  surprises  that  had  youc  before. 

The  passerby  alonp  the  villa-lined  avenue  from  Cannes  to 
Nice  sees  in  the  shade  of  a  tr(>e  by  the  roadside,  a  simple  shaft 
of  .stoiic  rising  to  tell  no  oth^r  story  t'iaii  this: 


THE  RETURN  FRU.M  ELBA 


417 


SiilUrliir    of 

.Manli   1,   181.". 


Not  iniotlicr  word  is  carved  ujion  tho  innnnmont.  Tt  i;, 
v'::;'ly  a  place  mai'k  at  tlie  opening  \niiiv  of  au  extraordinary 
'Mpter  iu  history.  Trolley  eais  and  a  jiroeession  of  auto- 
iiiiiliiles  now  race  by  the  stone,  where  a  eentury  ajro  a  (puet 
'•nuiitry  lane  took  its  leisurely  course,  while  winter  hotels 
;ih1  their  clutter  of  shops  look  upon  the  once  lonely  beach, 
v.!m  ;e.  with  inditferent  curiosity,  a  i'vw  charcoal  burners  and 
a  lew  tishermen  mending  their  nets  saw  Xapoleou  step 
a>li()i'e. 

■Now."  he  chuckled,  "I  am  about  to  enact  a  ^reat  nov- 
-!-y  "  He  very  well  knew  tiiat  if  France  were  to  be  con- 
'pi.  11(1  it  was  not  to  be  done  l,y  1100  followers,  but  by  hiir.- 
-.1  alone.  His  orders  to  ('aiiii)roinie  were:  "Do  not  tire  a 
Mii'jle  shot.  Renieniber,  I  wish  to  recapture  my  crown  with- 
'!iT  slieddinjx  a  drop  cf  blood."  Taper  bullets  were  to  be  his 
"!il>  aiinnimition. 

■■Frenchmen,"  he  proclaimed  in  a  .shower  of  leaflets  that 
:'!!  Iiefore  him  as  he  advanced,  "in  my  exile  I  he,  id  your 
I'laiiits  and  prayers.  ...  I  have  crossed  the  sea  amid  perils 
ot  cvei'y  kind,  and  I  am  come  to  assert  my  riuhts  which  also 
ill.  yours.  .  .  .  Soldiers,"  he  said,  turnino  to  the  one  element 
iliat  ivally  felt  a  lively  longiiu'-  for  him.  "'your  f;eneral 
who  \wis  raised  upon  your  bucklers  is  restored  to  you.  Come 
aial  .join  him!  Tear  tlown  those  colours  ..."  which  for 
iw.iity-tive  years  have  ser\  d  to  mark  the  rallyino-  point  of 
France's  enemies." 

.\'-  the  evening  came  he  rose  from  the  maps  he  had  spread 

I'll  tile  -round  where  the  memorial  .stone  stands  and  entered 

The  villa<;e  of  Cannes,  three  miles  away.      It  was  not  yet  the 

!ai!!i;iiit  and  populous  city  of  bio-  winter  hotels  juid  splendid 

■iiiti  r  villas,  which  Fn<:lish  so.iourners  have  annexed  to  Enu'- 

I.I..I  ...,,1  -,.i i..   J   I  i'  . <    •  .    ..        ,  ~ 

■■■<ri  auu  \.tieie  iii  LOivL'ii  Ox  iiu  ir  coni|rieSt  tiiey   lia\e  set  up 


■  Ml 


418 


IN  TIIK  FOOTS'IKPS  OF  XAToLKiJ-N 


statiios  of  Lord  Broiiffliain.  Kiiiff  E'Uvanl,  ami  tlio  Dukr 
of  Alliany  and  laid  out  thnr  tniiiis  courts  and  fzolf 
links. 

'I'lu'  (*ann('S  that  roc<'iv(>d  Napoleon  in  silence  is  still  tluT", 
liowovcr,  its  narrow,  dusky  streets  bendinir  about  the  foot  of 
.Mt.  Ciievalier.  .Just  where  the  modern  eity  joins  the  old 
town,  the  postofliee  now  rises  in  what  was  an  orchard  tlmt 
Mareli  evening'  wlien  a  cold  nii:ht  wind  blowing'  throu^di  thr 
olive  trees  chilled  the  marrow  and  the  humour  of  the  Emperor 
as  he  shivered  by  his  bivouac  tire.  And  the  lam[)  posts  of 
the  Rue  Bivouac  sufticiently  eonmieniorate  that  .second  halt- 
in;.'  place  of  the  eaule  in  his  fliuht  "from  steeple  to  steeple 
even  to  the  towers  of  Notre  Dame,"  as  one  of  the  proclama- 
tions announced. 

Cami)  was  l)roken  at  Jiidnig:ht.  Some  time  afterward  tlie 
Emperor  mounted  his  horse  and,  leavinu:  tlie  little  villa;,'e 
sleepini;-  in  the  dark  shadow  of  Mont  Chevalier,  he  rodi'  on 
in  the  niM,ht  up  the  lUt)()-foot  slope  to  (irasse,  that  butterfly 
town  which  draws  its  sustenance  from  tiie  perfiune  flowers 
that  cover  its  hillsides.  Day  was  peepin;,'  over  the  Alpine 
heights  wlu'n  the  imperial  wayfarer  came  to  (irasse.  He 
chose  not  to  halt  in  the  town  and  passed  by  to  eat  his  iireak- 
fast  in  a  tield  above,  where,  enthroned  on  a  pile  of  knap- 
sacks, he  drank  his  coffee  and  nuuielied  his  bread. 

Three  cypresses  nuii'k  the  scene  of  that  imp(>rial  de.jeuner, 
the  scene  of  that  dawniui:'  of  the  Hundred  Days.  Nature 
could  hardly  set  a  i)rettier  table  tiian  in  that  <rrassy  meiidow 
l)y  the  three  slender,  irraceful  trees.  A  beautiful  cascade 
purls  its  headlong  way  over  the  brow  of  a  .sheer  clitf.  Far 
below,  the  old  cathedral  of  (Jrasse  lifts  its  grizzled  tow.r 
while  a  lovely  l)looming  vale  opens  a  vista  clear  to  the  (!ulf 
Juan. 

The  reception  of  the  returned  monarch  thus  far  had  been 
only  coldly  civil.  The  people  liviuLZ'  on  and  n.ear  the  coast 
had  viewed  afar  tlu'  ulory  of  his  military  campaigns,  but 
they  had  not  been  witnesses  to  any  of  his  victories.  Ou  the 
(•onJrarv.  tjiev  remembered  his  reii_tn  cinefly  as  an  era  when 
their  harbours  were  sealed,   and  when  tiiey  could  not  look 


THE  RKTrRN  FROM   ELBA 


419 


-icross  tlit'ir  watery  front  irr  wit  bout  hclioUUiiu'  a  British  spa 
wolf  pi()\vUii|:r  aloriLT  tli.'  liuri/.oii. 

XapoUoii  did  not  dfcvive  hiiusclf.  lie  know  that  thi'  poo- 
p!f  as  a  whole  iliil  not  want  him  hack  any  inort'  than  tlicy 
\vi>li<'(i  him  to  stay  when  they  hootrd  liim  out  of  Brovfiict', 
Itss  than  a  yt-ar  bet'oro.  It  was  in  his  tUstnist  of  tlic  popuhir 
ti'iiipi'r  tliat  lie  had  chos<n  to  heg^in  his  march  on  Paris  l)y  a 
narrow  jiath  throuj^di  tlie  vvihl  and  sparsely  populated  moun- 
tains rather  than  by  the  browd  hiixhway  uj)  the  populous  val- 
Iiv  of  the  Rhone.  lie  chose  the  lia/.ards  otl'ered  by  nature 
latliri'  than  to  contend  with  human  ol)stacles. 

As  the  Emperor  looked  up  at  the  Basses  Alpes,  which  rose 
lutdrc  him  in  his  chosen  patliway  to  the  throne,  he  foresaw 
llic  difticulty  of  draiztriufr  his  artillery  over  those  heights  and 
lif  oi'ilered  that  it  lie  abandoned.  There  were  only  four  can- 
non nil  told  and  he  knew  that  their  little  whitV  of  urapeshot 
uiiiiM  not  coiKiuer  Paris  for  liiui  tl.is  time.  Not  those  four 
ni. 11(111.  but  the  three-eornered  hat  and  the  old  <ivvy  coat  must 
111'  II  lied  on  to  break  the  ranks  and  silence  the  battery  of  the 
iii'iiiy  of  1<S(),0()0  men,  sworn  to  defend  Louis  XVIII  ou  the 
throne  of  his  fathers. 

When  he  left  Grasse,  therefore,  it  was  to  enter  upon 
i.aiiiiy  more  than  a  proat  path,  alont;  which  he  hastened  his 
little  hand  in  single  file  through  snow  and  ice  and  in  peril 
'■:'  iVijlitful  abys.ses. 

Tlini  night  the  imperial  bed  was  only  a  bundle  of  straw 
in  a  wretched,  solitary  cottage  near  the  village  of  Seranon. 
Tlh'  next  day  the  march  was  by  the  chateau  of  Castellane  to 
I'la'vnif.  whieli  was  reached  in  a  heavy  snowstorm.  All  that 
111  li'eii  saved  from  the  money  taken  to  Elba  amounted  to 
-;."i).(  1(1(1,  and  it  was  carried  on  the  t)acks  of  mules.  One  of 
':•  animals  fallini:  had  scattered  over  the  snow  $G0,000  in 
j'll'l.  a  third  of  which  was  lost  beyond  recovery. 

Afier  a  night  at  Bareme,  the  Emperor  d(>scended  to  the 
va'ii'v  (if  the  Bleone,  where  it  grudgingly  widens  barely 
'iiiniuh  to  accommodate  the  picture.S(pie  old  provincial  capi- 
ial  of  the  department  of  the  Ba.sses  Aljies.     There,  at  Diixne, 


M 


420 


IN  TIIK   KOOTSTKI'S  oF   N.\l'(  )Li:()N 


hrfi'lipr  of  ('Jcii.Tn;  Miolli'^  ;ni<l  wlio  wiis  only  n  lumr  i"ire 
ulifii,  at  the  (Jciirnirh  rrqiicst.  Naiiolcoii  had  debited  liim 
to  the  hislioprii'. 

The  hishoo  sl.'f|)s  now  lirhind  ihi'  li'mh  altar  of  liis  cntlir. 
(Iral  at  DiL'iit".  l>iit  lu  livrs  in  tli.-  saintly  charncliT  <'(  Mou- 
>i'jnrur  Hii'iivrini  in  "Lcs  Miscralilcs."  For  it  was  upon  a 
kindness  ot'  tlie  l)isliop  of  Di-nc  toward  a  man  who  had  tri.'ij 
to  roh  him  tliat  X'ictor  Hie^o  liuilt  the  eharaeter  of  .Ifiin 
Valji'an. 

After  resenini:  the  thi.-f  from  erinie,  the  cure  sent  him  to 
srrve  in  KL'y|>t  undrr  liis  lirothcr.  fii'iit-ral  Miollis.  A^'onhiii! 
to  tlie  loeal  leirend,  the  viteran  was  iu  Dii^ne  a^'ain  when  Xii- 
{)oleon  came  alon<r  on  his  march  from  r\ilc  and  h.e  follewid 
the  Fmperor  to  I'aris  and  to  Waterloo,  wliere  he  pcrishrd  nn 
till'  lifld.  '".lean  X'ai.jran"  thrrfforc  will  have  to  be  enrolled 
as  one  of  the  four  recruits  whom  history  records  as  iiaviiii] 
rallied  to  the  imperial  eagles  in  the  course  of  the  tirst  tivt 
days  of  the  mai'eh. 

From  Diuiie.  Naiioleon  marched  to  SistiTon,  whose  fortress 
is  perched  upon  a  rock  at  the  head  of  the  Valley  of  the  Dur 
ancc.  N.iture  made  it  so  difficult  to  u'et  around  this  eitadr 
that  modern  fn<.'Mie  I's  irave  up  the  problem  and  the  raiiro: 
to-day  dodL'es  undci'  the  fort.  From  its  loopholes  a  few  ^'uii! 
could  have  turned  haik  the  advancinix  Emperor,  but  the  Rour 
bon  army  officers  were  watchiie,--  for  him  over  in  the  valle\ 
of  the  Rhone.  There  was  not  a  nnisket  to  ehallemre  him  a 
Si.steron,  whence  he  rode  away  on  a  wave  of  cheers  and  will 
many  irifts  of  horses,  wau'ons  and  provisions.  There,  at  tin 
threshold  of  Dauphiny,  he  was  leavin<r  behind  him  the  un 
sympathetic  i)eople  of  the  seacoast  and  enterim:  amoie.'  tb 
adventurous  mountaineers  who  loved  the  tdory  of  arms  am 
who,  in  the  safety  of  their  fastnesses,  hated  the  foreiinier 
that' had  overrun  the  plains  and  seated  their  Bourbon  pup 
pet  on  the  throne  of  France. 

It  was  on  that  5th  of  March  that  the  news  of  the  esoap- 
from  Elba  reached  the  congress  of  sovereiLnis  and  diplomat 
in  the  midst  of  their  jealou-  map  makinir  at  Vienna,  and  tlia 
the  news  of  the  laudiny  at  «  aili  Juan  reached  i'aris.     ^^llll 


Tin:  RKTrnx  from  kij?a 


421 


■\;itf(l   liii'i 

liis  iTitlii'. 
')■  (if  .Mdii- 
■jis  upon  ;i 
)  lin.l  ti'i-! 

r     Ol'     .|r;ili 

cut  liim  i' 

Aci'ordiiiL' 

I  wlicii  Na- 

H'     follilWi'il 

icrishrd  on 

be  eiirollnl 

as  liaviir.' 

e  lirst  tivi' 

3SP  fortress 
)i'  tilt'  Dur- 
this  citadrl 
he  raiiro 
a  few  ^'iiiis 
t  the  Bonr- 

tlie  valley 
ntre  him  at 
•s  and  with 
lere,  at  tlio 
im  tlie  1111- 
amoii'i'  111'' 
I:  anus  ami 

I'orfiinn'i's 
urbon  pup- 

tho  escape 
I  diplomats 
la,  and  that 
ris.     Wliile 


'-  Aiistriat.  capital  was  frying  lo  j.Mir^s  whither  the  caL'h' 
;  i  ''own.  the  olViriais  at  tiir  I^'ithcIi  capital  ciejaL'cd  in  plans 

r  liis  capture,  'riic  ('(imtc  (TArtdis,  hi'otlur  of  Louis 
.\'lll,  and  aflci'ward  Kin</  Charles  X,  started  at  once  for 
,\nii^  t(p  slop  his  march  on  I'ai'is.  and  a  proclaniation  was 
-I'd.  authoi'isini:'  an>    om-  to  take  liini  dead  or  ali\e. 

Ill    the    heart    of    Dauiihiny,    the    iuiposiiiLr    little    city    of 


iiimelile.   whieli   tdoves  the   haiK 


I< 


ranee  and   millions  o 


)f 


■  ■''•:'  V  hands  hesidcs,  sits  by  the  bcndiuLr    iiiver   Isere,  u'a/iinr 
.;'  ;i'    the   Al|)s,  whose  snowy  spurs  seem  to  rise  at   the  end 

.  \i  ry  street.  This  was  the  first  jilace  of  any  size  or  ini- 
■iiit;  .ICC  on  the  line  of  mai^di  and  Napoleon  eoidd  not  have 
i.iit  wonilered  how  fortune  would  LM'cet  him  a'l  the  L'ate  of 
'.iviMilih'.  That  praidvish  L'oddess  did  not  wait  for  lum  at 
'!;'  '.'ate.  In  her  ea<ferncss  to  play  one  of  her  most  extraordi- 
'i.:!\  pi'anks  she  went  forth  to  L'reef  him  when  he  was  yet 
ii'en   miles  away,   near  the  vilhiLic  of  l^affrev. 

Latfrcy  itself  is  a  mere  (duster  of  little  stont>  eottaires  that 
^'>!ii  to  have  ndled  like  Imulders  from  the  tloweri'd  hillsides 
li'iuii  into  the  narrow  ra\ine  through  whiidi  the  hi'_di  road 
'iiakcs  its  way.  On  the  (diurtdiyai'd  wall  a  tatilct  records  the 
Anrdv  with  whiidi  in  a  breath  Xapoleon  overturned  the 
fliiurhon  tlirone. 

Wliije  he  was  yet  a  mile  away  from  the  villatre  and  was 
ridniL:-  alotm   the   ravine   road,  with   the  white   mantle  of  the 

iMnie  ('hart reuse  loominir  before  him,  lie  saw  a  battalion 
"f  iiilaiitry  from  (Jreiioble  blockiiifj  bis  way.  There  at  last 
■;;••  lilies  eiinfronted  the  bees.  The  Emperor  saw  that  the 
■'III'  iiad  striiid<  for  inm  to  put  his  fat(>  to  the  tomdi  to  train 
■'!'  '"--e  it  all.  And  he  sent  one  of  his  aides  L'allopin^  ahead 
* '  '''.\   out  that  the  Emperor  was  approaidiinir. 

.\>  a  liourbon  olTtieer  saw  a  little  man  in  a  i:i'ey  eoat  and 
three-, (irnered  hat,  advaneins  afoot  an<l  alone  aloiiLT  the 
nuid,  he  shoiite(|  to  the  soldiers,  '"Tlu're  he  is!  Fire!" 
lint  tile  soldiers,  with  bayonets  diMwii,  stood  motionless  as 
i!i  a  tableau  while  Xa{)oleon  boldly  walked  u|)  to  them. 
When  he  was  but  a  few  paces  away,  the  familiar  tones  of  his 
'.oici'  rani:'  out  upon  the  tense  silence,  as  be  cried  : 


V22  IN'  TilK   I-'ooTSTKI'S  (»!•'  \.\  I'(  »IJ:<)\ 

"S()liliri-s!      I    am    _\niii-    i;:ii|Hi-iif!      Dd  ymi    not    rfi'omi 
til.'  "  ■  ■ 

"  ^'rs  !        ^'rs  !        ^^■^'"    llllllii  r'l'i  Is   of    \oiccS    ITspdlldcd    with 
fcrvrllt    slldUt. 

Now    iiiiliiittotiitii,'    his   lmtv    I'oat.    lir   otl'i'iTd    his   hrcast 
thiif    iiiii-ikrts    as    hi'    challi'ii;.'.'!!    tlicin:     "It'    thrrr    is    o 
iitnoiiL:'  voii  who  woiihl  shoot   hi»  ^,'riicral,  hiTf  I  ami" 


"Vivf    rKmprrtiii' 


fosi'     111    a    slu'li 


Ifom    thf    raiil 


The  -oldirrs  lit'trd  tlirii-  hayomts  only  to  nhicc  thcii'  shiik 
on  them  and  wa\f  them  in  the  aii'.  IvushiiiLr  upon  tlic  Ki 
pcror.  thrv  covcrrd  his  haiuls  with  kissrs  and  liUcd  his  ca 
with  t'lKh'ai'iiiL'  iiamrs. 

"It  is  all  si'ttlfd!"  .Na|)oli'on  siiiili'd  to  his  stalT  out  of  tl 
midst  of  tile  soldiers,  '"lii  ten  days  we  siiall  be  in  tl 
Tuilories." 

With  the  eheeriii','  battalion  leading'  the  niareh,  tho  Ei 
jxTor  entered  Latl'rey  viliauc,  where  he  rec-ivi'd  another  r 
ecnit.  This  was  a  rich  irlove  maniifaetiirer  of  firenohle,  .In 
Demoiiliii,  who  brou^'ht  in  his  arms  a  irift  of  .f'Jii,!)!)!)  in  gol 

The  snowhall  was  now  urowiiei'  \cyy  fast.  At  the  ne: 
viliaLTe  a  Uourhon  I'eLriinent,  whi"li  was  inarehinLT  out  fro 
<lrenolile  under  ( 'oloiiel  Lahedoyere,  eanie  only  to  fall  iti  wil 
the  battalion  behind  the  lOinperor. 

Tlieni'el\)rth  the  perplexinir  question  befoi-e  the  IJourboi 
was  whether  it  were  better  to  hurry  tlie  soldiers  away  frn 
liis  maL'ie  and  abandon  the  road  to  him  or  risk  the  loss  of  bol 
the  army  and  tlie  eountry. 

The  people  of  (irenoble  were  watehintr  lor  the  Knijieri 
from  their  walls  when  be  apiieared  liefore  tliat  eity,  and  tilt 
welcomed  him  with  i'in<:in<.'  cheers.  The  liourbon  otfiria 
before  takin<r  Hiulit  had  locked  the  irate,  which  the  citi/ei 
within  and  the  soldiers  without  ipiiekiy  battered  down.  T 
Km])eroi'  rode  in  over  the  debris  and  went  to  the  Inn  of  tl 
Three  Dauphins,  where  he  settled  himself  in  a  room  which 
preserved  in  the  jjnsiiit  Hotel  Moderne  et  des  Tro'.s  U:!' 
phins.  There  the  people  soon  came  and  called  him  out  up" 
the  balcony,  wlien  their  sjiokesinan  explained  that  since  the 


TIIK  HKTrUX  FROM   HF.BA 


is  breast  to 
hiTi'    is   oiii' 

tlir    r;uik> 

tluMI'    sll.lk'i, 

mil    tlir   Km- 
Ird   liis  cars 


•li,   tlu'   Em- 
jiiKitlirr  rt'- 

I'liohlr,  .li'illl 

01)0  ill  'M<\. 

\t    tlic   nrxt 

li:  out  from 

fall  ill  with 


■IT  iiiial)]"'   to   iircs.nt    to  liim   tiir   krys  of  liis  ijood  citv   of 


(iri'Mol)lr.    lli.v    ll.HJ    lil'ollL'ht    llltll    lllr    u'atr    llscll' 


Th 


('  i';ini|i;iii.'ii    was  aln'mly    won. 


llltll 


.rt'iio 


1)1,-   T 


was 


an  ailvi'iitui'iT, "  NaiHilcon  said.     "Hut  at'ti-r  (irmolili'  I  wa^ 


a  luiiiee 


As  he  moved  ujiou  i.yons,  tlif  Cointi'  d'Artois  made  n'ady 
to  ri'sist  his  proLMrss.  W'Ikii.  'lowcvcr,  llic  Count  found  that 
till' soldirrs  refused  to  cry  "\'ive  le  ifoi,"  lie  prudently  left 
'!i''  idiiiiiiaiid    to    .Marshal    Maediuiald,   who   strove    lovalK    to 


I'l-cct    hatlel'ies    for   the   defel 


lee  or 


the  eitv.     WliiTi  at  a  shout 


IVe 


Will 


v 

k^   theV    h 


.lllper'elir    '    the    soldiers 


ieL:aii    puMiii'. 


town  llie 


mis-   just  r; 


ised,  the  marshal  |nit  spurs  to  his 


horse  and  raee<l  away  as  if  fearinj;  to  catch  the  infection. 

.\apoleiin  entered  Lyons  and  sat  down  there  to  issue  his 
iiiijicrial  decrees  and  recast  the  ijoveriiiiieiit  of  l"'i'aiice.  On 
the  same  day,  the  .\llics  in  the  Nieiina  ( 'miLiress  wi're  deiioiinc- 
iiii:  liim  as  outside  the  pale  of  civilisation  and  deliveriiii:  him 
,|'  ■'to  niihlie  vengeance  as  the  enemy  and  disturber  of  the 
world's  repose." 

Only  one  more  liarrier  now  lay  lietweeii  tlie  Emperor  and 
iiis  throne.  .Marshal  Ney  had  heeii  despatched  by  the  Hoiir- 
bon  jrovi  rnment  to  asseiulile  its  sea-  red  army  and  capture 
the  invader  of  the   realm.     The   marsiial   not   only    promised 


to  take  him,  but  to  brinu'  him  back  in  an  iron 


caire 


When 


.sniiic  one  suj^u'ested  it  woidd  be  s^ifer  to  kill  him  outrii,dit, 
Xiy  insisted  that  it  would  be  more  exemplary  to  exhibit  him 
to  ilic  [leople  of  Paris. 

ihice  amoii<^  his  soldiers,  however,  tlie  marshal  heard  airain 
t!ir  old  cheer  for  the  Emperor.  Soon  he  received  the  Emper- 
or s  command  to  Join  him.  with  the  promise  that  he  world 
LTirt  him  ''as  on  the  morn  of  the  battle  of  the  .Moskva" — 
^Oit-rc  he  had  invested  him  witli   his  i-rincely  tith 


Aft 


er  a 


|iaiiifiil  and  tumultuous  conflict  in  his  bosom,  the  simple  sol- 
dier plunu'ed  into  the  tide  and  announced  to  his  army:     "I  am 
now  about  to  take  you  to  the  immortal  phalan.x  which  the 
Kiiipcror  is  leading,'  to  Paris." 
After  that   it  was  idle  for  the  Bourbons  to  attempt  any 


424  IN  'I'lll':   l'<)<>TS|i:i'S  (>!•'  N.\l'(>Li;r»\ 


furfli.T  rosistanci'.     'I'h.^  iiuth  "\'  tlh'  situntiun  ums  , A|.tvs^,.l 

ill  ;|  jrstiri"  plM.'l.nl  r.'ist.lp.l  to  thr  N'.lninMir  .(illllilU:  "  Nh- 
,„,|,.n'n  tn  l,,,lll^  .Will:  M.v  L'-mmI  li.ot  IhT,  it  is  USrlrsstO 
S.IkI    l.lr    llH)|-r    tronl's;     j    llilViMlv    IlilVr    .  •  1 1.  .1 1  ■_' 1 1  '  " 

Tj,,.  Kin-  siu  his  tliroiic  fur  wliidi  li<'  I'ii'l  wait^.l  iii  exile 
tnr.itv  s.';irs,  Miikiii'j  iMU.ntl:  liiin  as  if  in  a  Mi''''l<^i""'- 
ll,,.  i;,„'|„n,r  \vii>  ih;,f  i-"niitain.l.lciiu.  wli-n  a  tniviil)runr 
|i„|,l,.,l  i,,,ins  nut  Ml  thf  -ruilri'irs  ;it  iiii.ihijit  iA'  I'alni  Sun- 
,l;,y  Kor  Inn.rs  altrrsvanl.  tlir  -wM  |.alarr  ivniaui.'d  dc- 
s,  rtr.l    whilr    r;iri>,   muiinwd,  silnitly    lonkr,!   on   at   tlir  sild- 

liciil      shiltiii'-'  s.Tiif.  ,  •    ^• 

\,ri,iM  NaiM.lron  .iinw  iiit.>  ('(.nr  .lr  Franc-,  l.ut  tins  tune 
,o  n.vi-w  a  trnnni.hant  army  ulinv  only  a  frw  unmths  he- 
f,„,.  1...  ha,l  sat  au.i.l  th-  w.vka-r  ..f  I'ls  Knipuv.  At  nine 
oVlock  that  rvrnirr.  a  -•an-ia--.  with  a  ivonnmt  nt  mvalry  as 
it8  mM,rl.  .la>hr<l  thn.u-h  tli-  fain  an.l  io'S  \n\u  th-  murt- 
vanl  nf  thr  TuihTics.  Thr  ••narh  iUmv  was  pullr,!  np-n.  th- 
■|.-,nn.T..r  was  snatMir.l  inmi  his  scat  ami,  with  a  si.nl-  .ui  his 
lips  an.l  with  trars  ..n  his  .•luvks,  was  rarrira  up  Uu'  urai.l 
stairway  ul  the  pakiec. 


M 

ri'ssi  il 

1  : 

■■\,, 

ISI 

!,.,>  t,, 

1  ill  exile     1 

iii< 

ksiiinl.     1 

ivl 

1 

Itcanr     1 

illll 


(llllCll 


I  Sun- 
I  do- 


tllC      SII: 


tliis  tllllf 

umtlis  1"'- 

At  iiiiii- 

('Hvalry  us 

111.'  court- 

(ipt'ii,  fii'- 

,iil.'  oil  lii- 


C'HAI'TIIIJ   XLVIII 


Tin;  iiiM'i 


HAYS 


T 


[IK  Tliiihliv,!  I), 


l-l".      AUK  4: 


l\  s    ^t;llM|    illiillr    in    lilslilI'V. 


I  istoi'iiiiis 


li;ii'illy  kiiiiw  wlhtlirr  to  diLriiity  lluil  liriof,  Imt  cx- 
ti'iHinlinaiy.  pi  rioil  ;is  ;iii  ipocli  or  (lisiiii>s  it  ;is  an 
ipisodc.  Siii'cly  no  olhri'  litinn  wicks  in  tiir  clii-oiii'lo'j y  of 
till'  woi'Iij  i-.-iii  n|iial  ill  (jraiiialir  intiri'-t  tho-M'  wliirh  lir'.'aii 
uitii  the  iitiwn  t'ldiii  I'.llia  in  .Mai'i'li.  l"'!').  and  rmiril  .vitli 
till'  hiittlr   III'    Waterloo    in    -Inih'. 

A-    till-    I\in'_'   i-aii    out    ono   iloof   of   tlir    Tiiilrfirs   aiul    lln- 
Kmpiror    i-;in    in    tlir   otlicf.    it    uas   a    siiiijilr   iiiattif   to    tear 

:i».i\     tlir     lilirs    that     liail     hi'Otl    Stiti-lli'il    OVof    tlir    hirs    on    till' 

['illaiT    tapi'sl  I'irs.      'I'lir    \ioli't    also    had    hrconir    a    sviiihol    of 
alli".'i,inri'  to  till'  Kiiiprrof.      It  was  in  hloom  wlim  he  left  for 


Kl 


iia.  ami 


lllr    Ir'^riid    '^ITW    that    llr    had    pl'OIilisnl    to    ri'tuni 


whfii  thr  \  ioh't 


s  iilooiiinl  a'^ain. 


'I'lif  faithful,  who  in  sccrot 


waiti'l  and  loiiu'id  for  thr  iTstoiMtion  of  ihr  Kmpiri',  rondly 
tojist^d  the  rxiiril  monari'ii  as  ""Fa^hrf  Vioh't,"  or  "i'nr- 
poral  N'iolrt:'"  soiiirs  wi-rc  siiiiLr  to  "Ic  Prrf  ih'  hi  \'iolrttt'," 
and  the  tlowci-  was  worn  wiim  it  would  have  hn  n  treason  to 
Wear  n  ri'd,  white  ami  hhic  I'iiihoii. 
Witii    the    ret  urn    from    I'^ilia    and    tlic    fulfilment    of    the 


prophecy    in    the    leiiend,    t 


le     Wdineii     o 


f    i'ai'is    wore    hui'e 


MiiicIk'S  oI'  \iolets  and  trimmed  their  morninLT  caps  with 
tliein.  while  the  Jewellers  haslenrd  to  manufacture  violet  ]iins 
and  brooches.  On  the  other  hand,  wimi'ii  who  \v<'re  un- 
swerving royalists  dared  not  open  a  tloral  war  and  pit  the 
lily  airaiiist  the  violet  :  hut  they  wore  with  imiiunity  eiuhteeii 
tiicks  in  their  skirts  a.s  a  .si;iii  of  their  loyalty  to  the  fugitive 
Louis  XV III. 


42G 


IN  TIIK   FOOTSTKI'S  OF  N  M'OLKOX 


Tilt'  |it'()|ilr  who  lojifi'd  iiliout  the  tliroiic  rt'cantcd  tln-ir 
soli'iiiii  (iiiliis  1)1'  alli'LM.-iiiri'  ami  ilicir  |u»litii-al  priiici|ili's  »> 
swil'lly  as  thry  cliaiiuvd  llicir  rih'nons  and  tlicir  lioiitdmiim's. 
Tile  Kiiipi'i'oi'  liiinsflt'  t'Xclaiiuod,  as  lii'  sa'.v  the  politicians  and 
t^'cncrals  wlio  I^sn  than  a  year  hid'orc  liad  hastciii'd  to  drscrt 
his  falhn  I'ortiiiu's  ciiually  ipiick  now  to  i'orsakr  the  fleeinir 
KiiiL',  "-Inst  like  luaiikind!  (»nc  most  hmuh  at  them  to  kfip 
from  cryiiiL: ! "" 

lie  knew  that  lir  had  Ixrii  phiccd  on  ihr  throne  atrain  by 
a  PH  I'f  military  rrvohitio.  ,  and  that  only  a  iVw  tliousaml 
tni-n,  all  told,  had  taken  jiart  in  tlie  movrmeiit.  The  nation 
had  been  only  a  lonk,  r-on.  "The  people  ha\'e  let  nu'  eome," 
he  frankly  admitted,  "jnst   as  they  let   the  others  <ro." 

The  French  were  no  hmuci'  IJonrhon  or  Bonainirtist.  ami 
the  heart  of  the  r^ndi  I  i!...oii  wished  a  |)laLir.e  on  liotli 
their  houses.  The  peo|ile  wimc  sick  of  ^lory  ]>nrchase(i  with 
blood  and  lonued  only  for  liberty  and  peace. 

Amid  all  the  rapid  changes  which  the  men  who  tlockcd 
about  him  were  under^eim:-.  the  Kmperor  announced  that 
he,  too.  had  chauLicd.  lie  retioiuiced  his  dream  of  con<iucst. 
and  declared  to  the  allied  nations  who  had  denounced  him  its 
an  outlaw  that  he  aci'epted  tinally  and  forever  the  narrow 
fi'ontiers  within  which  they  had  shut  France,  At  the  same 
time,  he     rdered  that  a  fi-ee  constitution  be  drawn  np. 

Tlie  eft.irts  of  the  F.mpci-or,  however,  to  establish  relations 
with  the  nations  <d'  Kurofie  were  met  on  every  hand  wi'h 
scornful  rebuffs.  Tlie  CouL'ress  of  Yieiuia  had  only  .just  fin- 
ished recastintr  the  map  of  Europe  when  he  returned  to  the 
continent,  The  consternation  caused  by  his  apparition  was 
succeeded  by  a  united  determii  ition  to  beat  him  down.  The 
armed  coalition  of  l.Sl;5-14  was  renewed  and  plans  adoptcil 
for  reoiieninu  the  eampaiirn  with  800,000  troops.  France  was 
cut  oif  from  the  woi'ld.  her  ships  beiuij:  seized  the  moment 
they  ventun-d  out  of  port,  and  her  trade  and  her  mails  were 
blockaded  on  every  road  that  crossed  tlie  frontier. 

Xot  only  was  Europe  united  afrainst  Napoleon  as  never  be- 
fore, but  France  fci  the  first  time  was  divided  in  her  sup- 
port of  him.     Although  it  was  he  who  had  sent  up  the  na- 


\' 


THE  IirXDUKl)  DAYS 


427 


iitcd  tliiir 
iiiciiilcs  a- 
iitdunii'ivN 
tifiaus  ami 

I  to  desert 
the  fleeiiiir 

■111   to   kei  ]i 

i  a^'aiii  hy 
■  thousiui^l 
rile  iiatimi 

ille   edlllr.   " 

artist,  ainl 
('  oil  lidih 
liased  wiiii 

ho  tloekeil 
meed  tlial 
f  cotKiUest, 
ped  him  as 
he  iiari'dw 
t  the  samo 
up. 

h  relations 
hand  wi'h 
ly  just  tin- 
ned to  tl'.f 
ritioii  wa-^ 
own.  Tiie 
IS  adopteil 
France  was 
le  nionieiit 
mails  were 

■^  never  be- 

II  her  sup- 
up  the  ua- 


liniial  securities  from  twelve  i'raiies  1o  iii  lety-three,  his  re- 
tiiiii  to  pv)\ver  now  caused  a  jiaiiie  in  the  stock  market. 
When  tlie  corps  leL;islatir  was  elected  ai'ti'i'  his  return,  tive- 
M\ths  of  its  ineiiiiiers  were  unsynijiathetie  and  that  hody  made 

i.,i-'e  to  declare  its  imlependenee  ai  the  Kmperor.  The  ci)Ull- 
tn  responded  as  indiU'ereiitly  to  ids  military  as  to  his  political 
measures.  Will,  all  the  elforts  he  put  forth  to  raise  uj)  an 
army  of  national  defence,  it  is  douhti'tii  if  he  ohtaiiied  more 
than  50,000  eti'eetive  recruits  in  the  course  of  the  Hundred 
Days. 

With  these  and  the  troops  he  inherited  fi-oni  l.ouis  XVIIl, 
he  had  not  quite  2ii(t,OllO  soldiers  available  for  service  early 
in  .lime.  Already  thei'e  were  more  than  20().000  of  the  Allies 
Hi  lielirium,  l.')().(iO(i  Kussians  and  210.(100  Austrians  on  tin; 
march  across  (ierinany,  and  SO.UdO  Austrians  and  Italians 
'iireateiiinif  an  invasion  by  the  Mediterranean  I'ojist.  With 
liie  Kiissian  eontinucnt,  far  more  than  half  a  million  men 
wriv  in  the  field  au'ainst  him  and  his  2(10,0(10. 

He  debated  for  a  time  whether  to  make  an  ott'ensive  or  de- 
fensive campaiLin,  whether  to  attempt  a  Napoleonic  surprise 
and  fall  upon  an  un[)repare(l  and  <Hvided  enemy  or  to  take 
his  stand  at  the  tzates  of  Paris  and  there  await  the  invadiny: 
forces. 

Finally  the  more  atrirressive  and  more  eharacteristie  poliey 
\va>  adupted.  Probably  the  truth  is.  Napoleon  dared  not 
trust  the  loyalty  of  France  in  a  war  on  iier  own  soil,  and  that 
when  he  went  forth  to  meet  the  Allies  beyond  the  frontier,  he 
souirht  a  ((uiek  victory  as  much  for  its  effect  on  the  French 
people  as  upon  the  enemy. 

Even  as  he  wa.s  goin<;  to  the  front,  he  wa^  made  to  feel  liow 
perilous  was  his  position  at  liome.  The  En^dish  haviim 
laiuled  some  muskets  and  ammunition  on  the  coast  of  Brit- 
tany, the  iv^'sin  of  civil  war  was  ninu'  airain  in  Pourbon 
Vendee.  To  stamp  out  that  insurrection  behind  him.  the 
Eiiiiieror  lunl  to  detaeli  some  20,000  soldiers— 20,000  men  who 
utherwise  miuht  have  been  at  Waterloo  I 

The  Allies  were  fooled  liy  the  same  old  trick  that  Napo- 
leon had  successfully  played  at  the  opening  of  nearly  all  his 


426  IN  THE  FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLEON 

wars.  Tlu'  Duke  of  W^'llinu'toii  and  Marshal  I^liidit'r,  ooni- 
iiiaiuliiiLr  tlif  allifd  forces  in  P.»'l!,'iuiii.  coiitnitra  tliniis.'lws 
\vilh  watcliiii-  liiiu  in  Paris  and  did  not  take  tlu-  trouble  to 
watrh  his  arniv.  As  tliey  saw  him  iioldin^'  reviews  of  raw, 
unarmed  nulitia  in  the  courtyard  of  th.'  Tuileries.  or  dehv- 
,.,.i„„  orations  to  the  corj-s  h-ishitif,  they  left  their  armies 
carelessly  dispei-sed  all  over  the  i?.'l-ian  country,  while  tluy 
waited  to  oi)en  a  -ivat  eampaiun  a-ainst  i'aris  wlieu  the  Aus- 
trians  and  Kussians  shouhl  liave  crossed  the  Rhine. 

'•Ponaparte  will  not  attack  us."  l*>liicher  wrote  his  wife 
earlv  ■;::  -iune.  Even  when  the  Fr-  uh  army  stood  at  the 
fn„',tier.  poi-cd  for  a  sprin-  up*...  the  scattered  P.ritish. 
Dutch  and  ( iermans,  and  the  Em|ieror  was  fairly  tlyni-'  to 
the  front.  Weliin-ton  wrote,  -'l  .jud-e  tVom  his  -peech  to  the 
,.„rps  ie<.nslatif  that  his  departure  is  not  likely  to  he  iiiiine- 
diate,"  "That  letter  was  penned  just  live  days  before  the 
Pattle  of  Waterloo: 

Napoleon  iiad  already  stolen  out  of  Paris  at  dawn  oi  .Iune 
1-^  and  he  was  at  Laon  in  less  than  twelve  hours.  On  the 
14th  he  ioined  Ids  army  at  PeauuKuit,  the  last  French  town 
o„  the  road  to  Charleroi.  Waterloo,  and  P.russels.  '1  he 
VU'lAim  frontier  was  passed  before  sunrise  on  tiie  ir)tli  and 
the  cro<sin._'  of  the  Kiv.'r  Sambre  h,.-an  at  noon.  Hnhn-.' 
into  Charleroi.  the  Emperor  sat  down  in  a  chair  at  the  lork 
of  the  hJrussels  and  Li'-'uy  roads  and  fell  into  a  sound  sKrp. 
II,.  had  be.'ii  iravllin-  from  I'aris  niudit  and  day.  and  hiid 
been  in  tli.'  saddle  sev.-n  hours  that  mornin?.  Even  the 
cheers  of  the  passim.'  battalions,  the  blariuL'  of  trumpeters 
and  the  bea.tin^'  of  drums  did   not   awaken  him  as  his  army 

mari'hcd  b\ .  i    i  •       if 

While  he  sat  there,  N.w  cam.'  uj)  and  presented  iinnseit 
for  service  The  Emperor  had  so  ivluctantly  and  tardily 
summ.med  him  that  the  ,„arshal  couhl  not  .join  the  army 
earlier.  Even  now  he  received  a  cool  welcome,  and  was  dis- 
missed Willi  the  command.  -'Co  .Irive  the  enemy  alou-i'  the 
Brussels  road  and  take  up  your  position  at  <,>uatre  Bras. 

The  problem  of  the  campaiL'n  on  both  sides  was  bruti.H} 
simple      W.'ilinmon.    still    at    iirussds,   was   in   command   ei 


TIIH   lirXDKKi)   DAYS 


4211 


icr,  oom- 

UMIlSt'lvi'S 

roublf  to 
i  ol'  r;i\v, 
or  (liliv- 
ir  aniiics 
hilc  tliry 
tlu:  Aus- 

his  wife 
)(1  at  the 
I    I'.ritish, 

flying'  to 
■el!  to  the 
lie  ilMIlir- 
ict'orc   till- 

n  of  •luiH' 
,  ()ll  tlir 
'iK'h  town 
s('ls.     The 

Mth  ami 
I.  Kidiii'.' 
t  tlh'  fork 
Uliil  sleep. 
.  ami  had 
Kvi'ii  till' 
ntiiipeters 

his  army 

'(1   liimsrh' 
ml    tanlily 

tiu'  army 
(1  was  ilis- 

aloni:-  the 
■  Bras." 
IS  brutally 
inmaiiil   n' 


niio   liritisli,  4'i,<iOi)  (icrinaiis  and   ■J"),iiihi   Dutrh   and   lit'l- 


^'laiis — an  armv  ol'  abo 


■t   1(1."), 0(11)  men.     lilurhci'.  now  iiiarch- 


froni   Naniur,   iiad   an   armv   ol'  about    IIT.IHX)    Prussians. 


the  two  armif's  siioiild   iiiiitr 


lirv    W( 


)iil(l   have  a   total  ol' 


01)  men.  inrludinL^  17").i)i)(l  infantry  and  2'),(i(i;j  cavalry, 
ii'tcd  bv  mori'  tliaii  oOO  <runs. 


Napoleon,   on   the   otlu 


hand, 


lia( 


licen 


able   to  briii^'  up 


(Hiiy  12r),(H)0  mrii,  in<dudini^  !IO,Ui)0  infantry,  22,niiO  cavalry 
and  10,000  artillrry,  with  less  than  ■'>7){)  nuns.  Tlaiidy,  \V(  11- 
iiiL'ton  and  IJliiehcr  must  be  kept  apart  if  the  125,UOU  Freneli 


WrVl 


to  have  anv  idianee  to  win 


That  niizht  of  the  15tli  while  Xey,  in  fi'ont  of  Qiiatre  P>ras, 
was  h(  Id  in  ehe'cU  only  by  some  Duteli  ])attalions,  Wtllinu'- 
toii  and  liis  officers  were  at  the  Duchess  of  Richmond's  ball, 
ulinse  soinid  of  revelry  in  liidLiinm's  capital,  Byron  has  se'ut 
triioiuL'  down  the  corriilor  of  time.  There  in  the  midst  of 
fair  women 


men.    danre    orders    contemled    with 

the   Killi, 


'C   O  clOcK 


ui  the   moi'iiiii!. 


and  b;'av( 
battle  orders  until  thre 
whiii  the  British  commander,  becomiiie'  once  more  the  Ir(jn 
iJiike,  started  for  the  front  after  gentle  fiugers  liad  buckled 
on  his  sword. 

File  first   necessity  of  the  Allies  was  to  unite  their  forces. 
The   Prussians  already   were   hurrvin^  alon<r  the   road    from 
N'auiur, 
his    con 
iiiiihwav 


when    WellinLrtou    liastily    proceeded    to    concentrate 
tinucut    at    (Juatre    Bras    on    the    Charleroi-Brussels 


For  the  purpose  of  coneertinu'  measures,  the  Duke  ami 
lUiirher  met  late  in  iiuit  forenoon  of  the  KJth  at  a  vindmill 
Hear  Liiniy.  As  the  two  allied  commanders  sat  tln're  on  that 
eMiiiiciice,  Xapoleon  in  the  midst  of  ins  statT  sat  besidt 
other  mill  on  another  hill  oidy  a  little  way 
fields.      Betw 


an- 


across  the  wl 


ee!i 


and  on  its 

Lil.'HV. 


the  two  mills  flows  a  little  brook,  the  Liune. 
banks  was  a  little  cluster  of  houses,  the  hamlet  of 


Even  as  Wellington  cralloped  away  toward  Quatre  Bras,  he 
could  see  the  French  inoviufr  down  ujion  Li'_Miy  for  the  i)ur- 


;in    ad\'ani'e    W( 


stwar( 


1.      I 


I'liKe 


pose   of   stojipini:    the    I'russi 

the  thunderbolt  he  was  in  other  and  earlier  days,  however 


4:50 


IX  THE  FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLEON' 


Napol^'oii  li;i(l  licsitatcd  ainl  witlili-M  \hr  M.nv  until  P.liicli.M' 
was  ciialilrd  to  iisscmble  nearly  W.i\i)^)  iiir'n  auainst  tln'  70,000 
lie  himself  could  put  in  the  l)attle. 

All  at'teruoon  the  Ffeueli  artillei'v  poured  its  deadly  hail 
upon  the  Prussian  masses  that  h.dd  the  slope  beyond  the  vil- 
laiie,  while  the  inlanti'y  of  the  two  armies  trampled  the  LM-aiii 
lields  and  wrestled  at  bayonet  leiiutli  in  the  na-'row,  windiiiir 
lanes,  in  the  ehiirehyard,  in  the  barnya.ds  aiul  within  tlu' 
very  cottage  walls  of  Eiuny.  Then  in  the  waninj;  of  a  day 
of  sulphurous  heat,  the  warrinir  forces  of  the  air  burst  into 
battle.  Pi<.'litnini:'  flashes  shot  across  the  dark  heavens; 
salvos  of  thunder  shook  the  heavy  atmosphere;  the  Icail.'i! 
skies  opened  and  tl  "kxIs  descended  upon  the  .mbattlcd 
armies. 

Fiider  cover  of  ti.ose  ; cwildei'iuLr  flashes  and  crashes  of 
Jove's  artillery,  the  Emperor  h'd  forth  the  Old  Ouard  and 
they  leaped  the  brook  and  snatclied  the  villa-e.  I'diicher's 
horse  was  shot  from  under  liun.  and  he  was  only  saved  from 
capture  by  the  timely  apiiearanee  of  a  S(Hiadron  of  Fhlaiis. 
The  Ohl  Oiiard  swejit  on  irresistibly  over  Li<;ny  and  up  the 
slope  to  the  windmill,  leavinu'  a  path  throu^ih  the  Prussian 
centre  an<l  the  enemy's  army  broken  in  pieces. 

Perliaps  l.'..0()0  I'russians  and  11.000  French  lay  dead  or 
wounded  on  tlmt  li(dd  of  NapoUM)n's  last  victory  in  battle. 
For  as  Toulon  was  written  at  the  top  of  the  red  roll  of  his 
victories,  so  Liiiny  is  inscribed  at  the  bottom. 

Tile  Emperor  went  to  sleep  that  nit:ht  in  the  cliatcau  of 
Fleuris,  conei'atulatintr  himself  that  he  had  opened  his  eani- 
pai-iii  with  a  blow  as  orusliing  as  that  of  Jena.  But  there 
was  a  fatal  diirercnce.  ^Vhile  he  was  winning'  the  Battle  of 
Jena,  D.'vout  was  winning:  the  Battle  of  Auerstadt,  Iwdve 
miles  away.  Now.  while  he  had  been  winning'  the  Ba'tle  ot 
LiLrny,  Ne'y  had  lost  the  battle  of  Quatre  Bras,  sevei  miles 

away. 

There,  with  an  irn'solntion  fnreiLMi  to  his  impetuous  temper 
in  his  lirime.  the  marshal  had  dallied  with  the  hours  until 
he  was  heavily  outnumbered.  lie  was  seized  with  the  tr"nzy 
of  desperation  when  he  saw  th.'    'ay  slipping  away  from  hini 


THE  lirXDKED  D  \Y^^ 


431 


Iiliii'liiM' 


HI! 


[■ft 


'Ollcctt 


tlic   I linpcroi'  s  iiirssa'. 


to  liim   in  the   iiiorii- 


Tlic  t'at«'  of  Fi'aucf  is  in  vdiir  hands. 


Ic    \V( 


11  k 


new 


it   Ins  own    late  also   was  at   stal 


llavini,'   first   deserted 


Nil  I 


)o|eon 


ill  1814,  and  now  the   Bourbons  in   181"),  the  haji 


arslial    t'ou'dit   "witli   a    lialler   round    his   nee 


anil 


wavini:  his  sword  like  a  niadiuan.  he  cried  out  tor  the  iliiLT- 
lish  hullcts  to  deliver  liiin  from  liis  despair.  When  nit:lit 
fell.  Wellinixton  still  held  the  I'oad  to  Brussels — and  Waterloo  1 

.Vapoleon,  hnwevei',  eonlident  that  he  luid  put  the  Prussians 
out  of  action  and  could  dispose  of  WcUintrton  siniily  and  at 
his  leisure,  took  his  case  the  next  day,  the  17th — the  day  he- 
fniv  Waterloo!  He  felt  sure  tliat  the  Allies  were  hopelessly 
,-iiarated,  and  that  the  renued  I'russian  army  was  in  a  re- 
tii  at  on  its  bases  of  supply  at  Lieirc  and  Namur. 

lie  !)reakfastei'  unusually  late,  and  it  was  not  tmtil  eleven 
o'clock  that  he  ordered  Marshal  (Jrouchy  to  take  :5:},IJ00  men 
;iiiil  115  <runs  and  pursue  Bliii-her.  "While  I  march  airainst 
;lie  Knudish,"  he  said,  "you  will  pursue  the  Prussians." 

(irouchy  objected  that  it  was  too  late  for  him  to  take  up 
tlic  pursuit  of  an  arm\-  that  had  started  mor<'  than  twelve 
i-oiirs  ahead  of  him.  The  Em[)eror,  however,  cut  him  short, 
and  scut  the  marshal  and  his  3.'5,000  men  away,  never  to  see 
tlicia  apiin. 

"^leanwhile  Wellinixton  at  Quatre  Bras  was  receivin<r  word 
tii,  the  Prussians  were  by  no  means  retiritur  from  the  cam- 
paiirii,  but  were  movin<r  nortlnvard  by  the  nearest  availalic^ 
road  to  Brussels.  The  Duke,  therefore,  ordered  his  own 
force  to  fall  back  in  the  hope  of  unitim:  with  the  F'russians 
farther  north.  Thus  in  the  afternoon  of  the  17th,  the  Allies 
were  marching  by  parallel  roads  only  eifrht  and  ten  miles 
apart. 

When  Napoleon  came  in  slight  of  Quatr(>  Bras.  Wellinprton 
was  j;one,  and  only  a  rear  ^niard  remained.  Lord  rxbridufe, 
the  connnander  of  the  rear  <:uard,  saw  liim  appear  on  the 
ercst  of  ;i  lidue,  a  perfect  silhouette  atrainst  the  sky,  and. 
cried  to  his  iruniiers:  "Fire,  and  aim  ■ell."  But  they 
missed  the  mark. 

With  Xo'ioleo!!   :!!!■]    Ids  (■•i.'ird   a.t  tlie  l^'cls  of  I'vliridire's 


■}:!i 


IN  'I' I  IK   KOOTST  Ill's  OF  XAI'OI.KOX 


rear  piuinl.  tlnT.'  Iiclmii  ;i  v  iM  chasr  ;iloii._'  tlw  I'.iMissfls  road 
AiiotlifP  iil'tfiWHion  storm  limt  duwii  upon  tlifiii  ;i.s  pursiiiMl 
.'iiid  pu'siirrs,  (IrippiiiLT  wet.  iv. ,•(•(!  from  luimlct  to  hamjrt. 
The  I'lmprror,  in  ;i  fury  of  impiitinirc,  slioiitcd:  "Kirr! 
l-'ir.-!  I^'irr!  Tiny  ;nv  l-lii-lisli  I"  |-'or  it  was  tlic  (ii-sl  tiiiic 
sinci'  'roiilori,  twriity-oiii'  ycai's  ln'forr.  that  lie  liail  come  in 
sijrlil    of  a    i'imI   coat. 

At  half-past  six  of  a  cloudy,  fouiry  fVciiiriL;-,  the  Kmprrnr. 
with  the  rain  sTrcamiiit:  down  him,  i-amc  to  a  rude,  oiic-story 
roadside  cotta'jc.  whose  i)roud  owner  had  celebrated  his 
matrimonial  alliance  with  the  helle  of  the  countryside  hy 
namini:  it  "La  iJelle  AHiance."  Out  of  the  darkness  in 
front  of  him  he  heard  the  cannoji  of  the  enemy.  Was  it  onlv 
I '\l)rid'_!e  who  was  jii-iim?  Or  wei'e  Wellington  ami  his 
army  out  there  in  the  ni-jlit,  preparing  to  stand  for  battle  on 
the   morrow? 

To  solve  the  doubt  he  oivjered  several  of  his  field  batteries 
to  open  lire.  And  Wel!'.:iLrton  answered  with  a  roaring 
cannonade. 

The  doubt  was  resolved.  Xapoleon  had  arrived  at  the 
trystinti'  jilaee  of  fate,  and  soon  he  saw  the  camp  tires  of  the 
J^ritish  army  flarin'j  in  the  blackiies  of  the  stoiany.  cheerless 
ni^dit  that  covered  with  its  {lall  the  held  of  Waterloo. 


ciiaptf:k  xLix 


wati:i;l()() 

JI'KK    1.'.,    isir,      AUK    If) 


N 


\TrRE  playc.l 


;i  (li'''.'i 


lirt'ort'  tile  battle  (>[  Wati-floo. 
and  the  14i),li(l()  soldiers  o(  Xa 


ry  and  littiiiu'  overture  the  niulit 


le  skies  opelK 


poleon  and 


W 


uitliotit   a    tent    to   slu'lter   tlieiii    from    the   almost    ii 


d  ■i\i(h', 
luijztoii, 
leeNSanl 


'inuiipour,  sle|)t  on  the  sodden  earlh  or  stood   in  uroiips  ami 
'iniWMMJ  on  one  another's  .shoulders. 


still 


Duke  of  Wellin^'ton  made  liis  lieadiiuart 


ers  in  a  house 

a  I'oom  still  shown  opposite  the  church  in  the 

villa-re  of   Waterloo,   while   his   adveisary   stayed   in   a   lar^c 


seen  and 


farmhouse,   Le  ("ailloti,  whici 


u'aliles   to  the   Charleroi-Hi'ussel 


1  contmues  to   |)resent   its  stom 


s   I'oad.     There.    IviiiL:'   on    his 


ii'iin  camp  bed,  beneat..  a  <:old  frin<rel,  silk 


a  canopy   with   iri'eeii   satin   curtai 


•ounterpane  anil 


;t  dream  of  victory. 

.\t   iiiidinuht,  a  courier  i'n 


:is.   Napoleon   dre 


uned 


ms 


oiu  .Marshal  (Jrouchv  ca 


pniu'  into  Le  Caillou  with  a  desi)atch  reportin<:  that  HI 
instead  of  retiriiif:;  from  tli 


mo  (irip- 


UCller. 


0  camparirn,  seemed  to  I 


)e  marcli- 


iiiL'  toward   Wavre,  and  that   if  this  should   prove  to  be  th 


oa.se, 


he.  too,  would  march  to  Wavre  in  order  to  ke..p  the  1 


sians   troiii   joininLr  the   British.     Allhou'di   th 
that 

Vet 


rus- 


e   coui'iei-  sa.K 


in  answer  was  expected,  he  was  sent  away  without  any. 
'He  mspirinu-  suuirestion  then  to  the  uninspired  marshal 


iiii-ht  have  made  Wat 


•rloo  spell  succes.s. 


At  that  .same  midni-ht   hour,  the   Prussians,  who  had 


I'tady  ai'rived  at   Wavn 


Were  ( 


lecidi 


fo  join  the  British  at  once.     In  two  1 


iifT  in  a  council  o 


al- 

war 


received  from  Bliidier  tlie  oh 


o  hours  more,   W 


ellni'Ttoll 


tiDally  determined   to 


ceriiifr  promise  of  lielp>  and   i 


le 


Willi. 


make  a  stand  at   Water 


til 


00. 


i>>,i-. 


434 


IX  Till-;  FOUTSTKI'S  OF  NAI'oLKoX 


o  Hook.  X;,pol..on  w;is  up  mul  visiting  tlif  oai.ip  <,f  his  rij 

W.vii(l.r.l    army.      \Wnwj   thynwjU    tlir   shadows  of   tho   s't;i 

ess  ni^hf.  h..  ira 1   th.  tla.ninu'  lini's  of  the  rM.Mnv  an.l  tl 

l>l;il-k    Olltlirir    of    I|„.     F.HVst     of    SoiL'lIrs     hrvnlul.  ' 

Tlir  Ktuprror  u<■^,■v  .vasr.l  i,,  ,.xp,vss  h'is  amazrinent  tl„ 
W.llui-ton  sliouM  havr  risk,.!  a  hatth.  witli  his  l,a.-k  to  tlu 
'"'■'■"'■  '  '"■  '*"!<'■•  ">i  ""  "tli-'r  li.-iii'l.  alwavs  insisfd  that  i1 
'"II  .111(1  w.ll  s,.,,aral,..|  tiv,.s.  its  hick  of  uii.l.Thnish  and  il 
niaiiv  woods  roads  ulfuri'd  siifticient  facilities  for  the  ivtiv;, 
ot   a   lieateii  army. 

Tile  sun  of  Waterloo  rose  at  twelve  minutes  of  four  on 
Sunday  morniii-  m  dune,  jiut  it  hid  its  fa.'e  behind  111 
werpm-  clouds.  The  raiii  soon  stopped,  however,  and  "a 
five  o,-l..ek."  so  he  ,lieiat,-<l  at  St,  Helena,  "the  Kmperoi 
pciveiv.-d  a  tew  feeble  rays  of  Tint  sun  which  should  hcfon 
•settinu   h-ht  up  the  destniction  o    the  liritish  army." 

It  was  .\apole„n's  Iiabit  to  sl.ike  ..arlv.  At  Montenottc 
Aiisterlitz.  dena  and  Wauram,  b..  be-an  at  .sunri.se  \1 
Waterlo,.,  be  mad,,  a  fatal  delay  on  tiie  ad  vice  of  (iencnil 
Drouot,  who  askrd  him  to  w.it  for  the  -round  to  drv  so  tliat 
the  -uii  carnages  could  be  more  readily  moved.  E\vr  after 
Drouot  lamented  that  but  for  him  the  Emperor  miudit  hav. 
attacked  \V,.|linKton  at  seven,  won  at  ten,  and  boeu  rcadv  for 
liliicher  in  the  afternoon. 

The  British  were  promptly  in  line.  While  thev  were 
tormmu'  m  battle  array,  with  trumpets  blarintr,  drums  bcnt- 
iiiLT.  and  ba-pipes  wailinu'.  a  sf>irited  cavalcade  dashed  upon 
the  scene  Irom  the  .lin-tion  of  "Vaterloo  village.  It  was 
the  Duke  of  WellinLrton  seated  on  hi.s  war  horse  "Copcn- 
Jia-cn.""  and  atteiide.l  by  his  .stall',  inclu<lin<:  the  Prince  of 
Oran-e,  the  Duke  of  Kichmond  and  several  of  the  ..'n  at 
nobles  of  Britain.  They  came  upoM  the  battletii-ld  as  ^ailv 
a.s  they  would  ride  to  meet  the  bounds  in  a  (luiet  EnLrlish 
county.  Anions'  them  was  that  unfailini:  Corsican  huntsman. 
Pozzo  di  P,or-o.  who  liad  .-based  the  (piarry  for  twentv  vears 
and  all  over  the  fields  of  Europe. 

There  were  yet  no  heroes  in  khaki,  and  as  lie  rode  his  lines, 
the  uuble  Duke  was  apparelled  like  a  brid.ein'nom       His  eoeked 


).\ 


WAT  KR  LOO 


■t;i.') 


<if  liis  mill 
•  r  tho  star- 
my  and  iIih 

^I'lncnt  tliiit 
i;ii-l<  to  tliat 
'trd  that  Its 
it>li   and  it> 

tile    fi'trra! 

four  on  a 
lu'liiiid  till' 
I",  and  "at 
I'  Kinpfi'iir 
)u!d  hit'ort- 
ly." 

lontfuottc. 
iiirisc.  At 
of  (u'ncral 
Iry  so  that 
SviT  aftrr, 
iiiu'lit  have 

ready  I'jr 

they  \vt'rt> 
•iiiiis  hcat- 
slit'd  upon 
'.  It  was 
■  "Coprn- 
Princc  of 
till'  irnnt 
1  a.s  ji-ai!y 
t  I-]imlisli 
uiiitsinan. 
'iity  years 

liis  linrs, 
li.-  ,..„.L-,.,1 


!,:;(  ^porli'd  four  cackmli's  in  tli.'  coloiii's  nf  Riiirlaiid,  Spain, 
I'lirtMLial  and  tlir  N't  tlnTlaiids.  A  wliiti'  cravat  showed  un- 
'Irr  his  dark-liluc  coat.  From  Ids  shonhlcrs  a  short  l)iuc 
i-Iiiak  Hoatrd  in  the  air,  and  Ids  liuckskin  hrcfi-hcs  disttppcari'd 
.ii'o  a  |iair  of  hi'jh  tasMHeil  hoots. 

At  r\iz\it  o'i'lork  .Xapoh'on  was  still  li'isurely  lircakfastinL' 
:.I  Lc  Cailloii  on  silver  plate  hrouuht  from  the  'I'lnh'ries. 
The  .sun  was  sliiniiiL',  and  a  wind  was  lih)wine'  on  the  marshy 
lii'M.  The  Miiiperor  was  snineniely  ciintident  that  he  \\'oidd 
iifi'akl'ast  the  m^xt  mornine-  in  lirnssels.  "We  have  idnety 
.■hanccs  in  our  faxmir,  and  not   ten  auainst   lis,"  lie  deehired. 

H"  ainiduuei'd  tiiat  he  would  hurl  Wellington  hack  upon 
Ills  hasc  at  Osteud  or  at  Antwerj) — drive  him  into  the  sea, 
as  III' cxprt'sscd  it.  "I  shall  hrinu  my  numerous  artillery  into 
I'lay,  cliai'Lif  with  niy  eaxalry  and  then  I  shall  mareli  with 
i';\  Old  (luard."  lie  hail  no  tlioi.elit  that  the  I'l'ussiaiis. 
whom  lie  had  lieateii  at  Lieny  two  days  before,  iniijrht  rall\' 
and  confront    him  aLiain   that    day. 

.Marshal  Soult  had  jiressed  the  l-lmperor  the  ni'jlit  bel'ore 
to  i-all  in  at  least  some  of  the  :i:!,()(l()  men  with  (Irom-hy,  ,ind 
111'  iiriied  the  point  anew  at  the  breakfast  table,  'i'lie  Km- 
]iefor  mily  scorned  his  lu'inlence.  "IJeeaiise  Wellini:ton  has 
biati'ii  you.  you  reii.ird  hitii  as  a  ureat  preiieral,""  lie  ehided 
his  chief  of  stafV.  "  Uut  let  iiie  tell  you  now  that  Welliie.:- 
toij  is  a  po<)r  ^'cneral,  and  that  the  Kni;lisli  are  i)oor  soldiers, 
and  that  for  me  this  atVair  here  is  no  more  than  eating  this 
hr.akfast."' 

i  n  Is  the  l']mp  ror  sat  at  table,  routine^  the  foe  with  knife 
and  fork,  while  his  Iroojis  were  forminir  on  the  lieii:lits  of 
i.a  Belle  Alii.  nee.  It  was  about  nine  when  he  appeared  be- 
■  "\'-  iheiii  and   for  the  last  time  held  a   review  of  his  army. 

T'.v  ea'.:le  crowned  standards  tliittered  in  the  breeze.  The 
-1111  uleamed  on  salires  and  lances,  on  ludmets  and  cuirasses 
iiiid  lit  up  the  brilliant  iiu'dley  of  briiiht  red.  sky  blue  and 
diM'|)  Lifeeii  uniforms,  riumes  of  all  the  rainbow  hues  nodded 
above  the  shakos,  the  ti^er  helmets  and  11111:1'  bear.skin  caps. 
The  irreiiadici's  and  chasseurs  ol'  the  Old  (Juard,  with  pow- 
jcivd  inieues  unci  enormous  uold  earnuL's,  and  willi  tiie  most 


4:JG 


ix  Till;  i'(M)TSTi:i's  (II''  XAiM )!,::( »\ 


ferocious  iiioiisfachcs  tlioy  could  crrow  or  rvon  pasto  on  th 
lips,  ciirrird  in  tlnir  kimjisni-ks  ihrir  full-iln'ss  iinifoniis 
rt'Jidiiii'.ss  fill-  a  liiuinpliaiit  tnlry   into  i!l•u^^l•ls  the  iii'Xf  d, 

Dri'.ss.-d  ill  Ins  ions;  prey  roat.  tlir  i;iii|M'fni-  Viu\v  ddun  i 
fn-ii/.i..|  ranks  in  full  virw  of  ihr  rrd  lin<'  of  I'lnu'land,  1 
tliai!  a  tailc  aua.\.  WrilinuMun,  llirmiLd!  Iii>  li.'|,|  irjiiss 
t'"ll(i\v'il  till'  iiniiri-ijl  [ii-f.Lrrcvs,  and  tlir  cji.vis  of  tlir  Frt'ri 
lirok.'  ifi  nn'jni'j  \\a\is  n|Hin  the  iiritisli  ffont.  Not  a  si 
was  liivd  to  inti-nai[.t  th.'  iMiposintr  s[ifcia<-lr.  inori'  iiki- 
pala  fntiy  into  the  luill  lini;  liiau  the  iiiaiiuui'ation  of  a  liat 
f(»l'   the   niastn-y  of    lliifopc. 

Tiif  staiir  on  uhirh  Napnioon  onac'tfd  that  (dosinu'  scene 
till'  [laucantiy  of  his  cafccr  is  not  irr.atly  (dianuvd  after  t 
pasNin-  of  a  eentury.  Traie,  thr  l!.'l'_'ians  ha\e  defjuvd  t 
field  hy  heapinir  up  an  enormous  mound  i\\'  e:ir)ii  2(1(1  \\ 
h\'j.h  and  phieiu'^'  a  hu'^e  lion  on  top  of  it.  Half  ;i  doxen  otli 
more  niod''st  memoi'ials  rise  here  and  th.'re  and  the  L;roui 
is  more  oi'  Irss  elutli  rrd  with  inns  and  shops.  The  woadi 
ha(d\Lrround  of  WelliuL-'ton  "s  army  has  vanished,  wliile  tl 
Mink. 11  road  has  iialf  disappeared,  and  now  a  tramway  rii; 
alonp  it. 

XotuithstandiiiLZ'  the.-;e  latter-day  intrusions,  Jiowovor,  t! 
held  oj'  Waterloo  is  still  the  same  eheekerhoard  of  sum 
Well-telidrd  failUS,  (lotted  uitli  the  sauie  \illaires,  as  wilt 
the  battle  hurst  uiion  it.  One  who  stands  to-day  on  La  Bel 
Alliance,  needs-  to  imt  forth  only  a  sliuht  elTort  of  tl 
imaL'ination  to  call  hack  liie  shades  of  the  two  warriuL'  arinit 
victor  ami  van(|uished,  aud  see  tliein  aLrain  facing'  eai'h  othi 
in  serried  lities. 

idke  Austerlitz.  AVati'rloo  was  not  fous,dit  in  Waterloo,  bi 
two  and  three  miles  south  of  that  villai:c,  which  itself  is  oiil 
ten  miles  out  of  Brussels.  And.  unlike  most  Ijattles,  it  w; 
not  for  die  possession  of  a  fortress,  a  river  or  a  mouiitai 
pass. 

It  was  a  fiLdit  (o  eai>tur(>  a  oountry  watron  road,  which,  lil^ 
a  main  aisle,  runs  tlirouuh  tlie  very  centre  of  the  battlefifk 
From  La  Belle  Alliance,  wheri'  the  l-'rcmh  troops  were  draw 


in-. 


i\.: I 


L  Itlll'llill 


w  .\ti;ki,()() 


4;n 


owovor,  the 
d  of  small, 
i?s,  as  when 

on    L;i    iirllr 

I'ort  of  th.' 
riiiLT  aniiifs. 
r  cai'li  otlur 

'atcrloo.  h'lt 
tsrlf  is  only 
ttl.'.s,  it  \va> 
a  mountain 


wcM'  ilrawii 


uiiicli  fiiviiliil    tif   two   nrmii's  on    tlir    l.;it 

:'Si'<'!)(!s  thr  nJilKKltr    llrl'.'llt    to    M  t  ,    St.   .|r;MI.   (i| 


tlr    riionimL'.    and 

1   wilMSC  solltllrl'n 


W 


1 1  nu' In  II  s  In 


Kips    a\\ait>i|     ill,      ;|(|\;nii'r    (I 


r  tli.ir   f( 


» 


i'.y  Iiciul:  tlic  liiM  on  the  scfiu-  tlir  ni-ht  lirfoi-r.  ttn'  |)iikc 
:a(l  won  tlic  toss  I'or  tlif  clioicc  of  imsit  ions  ami  lir  i  MiviMii 
:ii.s  iidvantaL'f  with  L'ood  tiictn-jil  judL'Mii'nt.  llr  w  11 
lifi'f  hi'  was  i:(iiii'j    wlnii   he  rriiffd    from  (^Jualrr   l;ras.   for 


int'W 


'•■  had  examined    Mt.   St.  .It 


hih 


passuiL'   i>.\ .  a 


\eai'   li 


he    OClLTUial    (lisroverer    oF    WaterJdO.    li 


oWeMl'.   was.   ot 


,ill  men,   ilmisnn    I. owe.      At    least    he  was  anion-   th.-   lirst   to 
i-oiiimi'nd    its    militai'v    advantat'es. 

lu'.on     |)Osted     hi       troniis.    he    eleVel'ly    tiink    ad- 

kahle 


Wlieii   Wellii 


ons,  rise 


vaiitaiTP  ot  every  fav(inralili>  condition  in  a  nmst  ri mat 
linttlelield.  Down  close  to  the  fitot  iil'  I. a  i'.elle  Alliance,  and 
fit  tlie  Western  end  of  this  tiltiiiLi'  Lii'oiind  of  tli"  nat 
the  .shattervd  walls  of  tiie  old  chritcim  of  iI<iiiLroiimoi:t. 
Tlii-y  are  c(,\ereil  with  wounds  ;ind  the  very  tr-'cs  aiv  Imttle 
scarred.  Out  in  the  centre  h.^ide  the  linissels  road,  is  a 
irroiip  of  Imiidincs  within  a  lii-jli  stone  wall,  'i'he.sc  are  tlie 
tiiriiiliousc  and  sheds  of  I, a  Have  Saiiite.  .\t  the  eastern 
'•nil  of  the  Held  is  tlie  little  iiainlet  of  I'apelotte  with  two 
'itiicr  hamlets  near  hy. 

W.-lliiiLTton  seized  upon  all  those  huildin'js,  irarrisoned  them. 
■ut  lonphnles  in  them  and  turned  tliein  into  forts.  Thus  the 
^tnne  walls  of  HouLroiiniont  and  Pajielotte  liecjinie  in  ett'ect 
ihe  brass  knuckles  on  the   i-i^lit   and   left   lists  of  dolui    Hull, 


Thil 


l-a  Have  Sainte  served  him  as  a  l)reastiilate  in  I 


lis  iinisr 


■'.'ht  with  .Xaiiojeon.  For  it  was  liehind  tliose  fortified  out- 
posts that  the  I'.riton  loi'med  his  battle  line,  whieli  stretched 
nearly  three   miles   t'rom   west   to  east,  from    Hoii'.i<)umont   to 


F'apelotte,  with  La  Ilaye  Sainte  in  ti 
Not   only    did    WeJIiiiLrton    shield    his    troops    t)eliind    that 


le  verv  centre 


>tram 


0     eh;iii 


'Hck  of  the  road   to   \V 


1    ot     improvised     fortresses.      He     posted     them 


tvi 


e.  wlii'-h   was  most    peeuliarl>-  eon 


'rived  to   protect    them.     A    hiuh.   tliick    hed-e   l)ordcre<l   tli 
'■■•isterly  reach  of  the  hi^rliway.  where  it  formed  a  uood 
iind  to  tl'.e  wc-it  i]\r  yr■.•.^ 


Scl'celi, 


erteet  intreiicliment  readv  made. 


lit    111,     il 


4:{H 


IN  Tin:  i'(>Misri:i's  ni'  n.\I'<»li:<»n 


I'.iirk    nf    Ihr    fO.lil.    thf    Puk.'    stood    llis   SOl.li.TS   oil    till'   slop: 

of  Ml.  Si.  .I.;m,  wlniT  ill  ivrry  iittack  tiU'  cin'my  lunl  an  up 
liill  fa^k.  \\<-  aUn  \n:\'\''  tli.'  lull  -r\r  iiiiii  in  >till  aiiothc 
Wiiy,  its  rrot  >iiirjl\-  ^lirltiTiuj-  ami  iml'  '■'!  •|uitr  cuiicralini 

llis   reserves   alKJ    wniimli  (I. 

'I'll,-  tuo  armies  were  iidt  ver>  uni(|ual  in  mimliers.  Al 
tiKiiiuh  W.llin-t.m  ii»,i  to  say  tlial  X'apoleon  on  tlie  tmttlt 
field  was  worth  lonnii  ni'-n.  tlie  linn  i)iil;e  liim-.'lf  was  ii 
small  reint'nre'menl  lo  any  arm\  lie  edinmaml.-.l.  In  tin- out 
lin.s  of  their  livi'8,  the  t\\<i  ehieriains  were  straiejely  inatc-hec 
jioth  Were  hnin  Oil  i'oii(|iieri'd  islands  within  a  '""W  month 
,,r  raeli  oiler.  Initli  were  educated  ill  Fiviieh  military  sciiiml 

;it   ihr  same  ti hnth   received  their  commissinns  and  iiiml 

their  lirst  eaiii|)iiii:Ms  in  tiie  same  year'^.  All  hoii-h  tliei 
[laths  never  had  crossed  until  they  met  on  th.'  I'.riiss.  Is  roiu 
the  Hritoii  had  lor  six  years  loii-ht  the  marshals  of  the  Nf 
poleonic  sehudl  in  Spain,  and  there,  in  1>14,  .he  Inslmiii 
was  winniiiLr  his  diikednm  wliih-  the  Cnrsiean  was  losiiii;  h\ 
ei'ow  n. 

NaiH.h.,11  liad  a  lew  more  a. id  Wdli  -n  a  few  lessjlia 
7(1.001)  trooi's.  The  most  marked  disjiarity  between  the  ie:v, 
was   in   artilhry,   the   Kinperor  having  2U0  <xun.s  ai_'ainst  tt 

Duke's   ISO. 

While  Naiioledii.  iiowever,  was  well  satisfied  with  his  arm; 
which  was  wholiv  l-'iviirh  and  liercely  patriotic,  WeUiii'.'t.i 
ih'scrihed  llis  own.  .'Veii  after  the  victory,  as  'the  wor 
,.,|iiipprd  army  with  the  .vorst  statf  ever  hroiiLdit  toL'ctlier. 
It  is  true  that  nearly  two-thirds  of  liis  soldiers  were  untraiiK-i 
The  rest  iiad  se.n  more  or  less  active  service  in  the  Spain? 
eampaiL'ii.  hut  th.'  hest  of  the  IN^ninsiilar  veterans  were  lo 
or  still  absent    on   the    New   Orleans  expedition. 

There  were  (,niy  2:;,:''.tl  P.ritish.  all  told,  at  Waterloo.  .111 
about  one-third  'of  the  lotal  li-htinir  force.  .More  tiif 
20,000  of  Wellin-toirs  men  were  from  Holland  and  Hel-iiu 
and  more  than  20.000  were  Hanoverians  and  mereenarirs  Iro 

other  (iermaii  states. 

wat:  ■-■.■.;h  ■■  he.fh'c  nod"-e  armv.  AVellincrton  wonhl  n 
havi'' dared   ti-ht    Napoleon  at   Waterloo  had  he  not  bei^n  ii 


\\.\TKl;l,00 


4:J0 


Mirnl  tint  aiiotlirr  ,inn.v  l;ii--rf  tlum  lii>  own  \v;is  Irss  ili;iii 
tni  mill's  awiis  iniM  Inirryiiiif  to  liis  nssistjiiirr.  Whil. 
irrmichy.  with  liis  :;:'.. 'Mio  I-'pihIi,  wiis  ai-liinll.v  marflmi- 
flirt lirr"  iiway  iCniii  \a|Milrnii  Maislial  IMnrli'T.  "tliat  old 
,l,,vil."  US  \\\r  l-;iii|i.T(ir  r;iil,M|  lii-,  inns!  |  M'f,ist  I'lit  ami 
iriiiil)l»'siaih'  fill'  ill  ai-ui^,  lia<l  l"rii  Ira-r-iiiu'  liis  wciiry  l•|•u^ 
•iiMis  tlirouuii    thr    iiiiul   and    tnai<iii.j:   straijit    for    Watrrloo. 

WfllillUtoll     a<rr|itr.l     liattli',     tllrfrlnlr.     nil     .llr     idll  tii  irllt     CX- 

pectatiuii    that    lidu''^   thr  riid   ((f  thr   day.   in-   windd    laitiniiu- 
bfr  Ills  ad\  I  rsar\    I  \mi  to  nwr. 

Kvcii  whih'  thi'  liatllr  \va>.  ln'-iiiiiiii'/,  Ci'michy  was  sciidiiiir 
a  iiu'ssii'ji'  1(1  thr  I'lmpridi'.  aiiiKHiiiciiiir  that  h.'  Imii-d  to  ai 
riw  at  \\a\iT  ill  thr  I'xrnini.  where  he  wadd  jdaee  idiiisell 
Mueeii  r.liielier  and  \\Mi;ii-t()ii,  ••who  is.  I  luvMiine,  rv 
tiviitiii-  lieloiv  Voiir  Maj.  Nly:"  And  lie  asked  what  lie 
should  do  lo-iiiurrow.  lie  did  not  know,  poor  ploddine-  mar- 
shiil.  that  I'.liieh.r  was  last  idaeiii-:  liiiiiself  hetweeii  him  and 
Nii|Hiifoii  and  that  theic  would  he  no  to-morrow  lo-'  the  army 

of  Knuice. 

It  was  almost  noon  wlieii  one  of  his  Mieautit'iil  dauehters." 
as  Napo''  e  ''ondly  called  his  t weIve-[iounders.  tossed  the  hall 
that  sieiialised  the  opeiiiii'j  of  a  hattle  if  untohl.  unending' 
(.•oiist'iiuencL's. 

That  HiNt  outt)iirsf  of  thunder  from  the  hatteries  on  La 
IWle  AlliaiK'e  was  fo-  the  purpose  of  eov.'rintr  an  attaek 
vMii  lloipjomnont.  which  I'rince  .leronie  Honapartc  led  with 
ivilcl.'ss  dariiiL:-.  Out  of  the  loopholes  in  the  ■rardeii  walls 
of  till!  chateau,  tlaiiies  of  lire  shot  into  the  faces  of  t!:e  ad- 
vaiiciiiM-  Fron'jh  from  the  muskets  of  the  iiivisiMe  I'.ritisli 
I'arrison.  Twice  deromc  and  his  12.(ii)()  men  dashed  heads 
ilowii  into  the  hiindiim-  storm.  When  retreat  was  sounded, 
after  a  costly  sacritice.  the  bodies  of  the  dead  who  had  died 
ill  vain  la\    in  hea|is  ahout  the  stuhhorn  walls. 

The  Kmperor  had  ordered  die  attack  merely  to  divert 
W.lliii-toirs  attention  from  tl  '.ritish  .-entre  when'  he  liad 
iiU'ant  to  deal  his  hardest  blow,  r'.ut  while  lie  was  yet  niakiiiL^ 
rmly  for  that  deadly  thrust,  he  discerned  a  c-loud  of  dust  on 
the  eastern  liori/.on,  which  soon  took  tlie  siiai'c  of  an  advanc- 


440 


IN  'I'lii';  F(juTs'ri;i's  of  xai'olkox 


iiijr  colmim  nf  1i-oops.  Soon  a  scout inir  party  lifoiiulit  in 
i-aptuiv(l  l'i-,is-,i;,ii  roiii-icf.  with  a  mcssa^'.-  to  tlu-  Hriti: 
from  (Iriicral  liiilow  of  lUiiciicr's  army  adtioiuifiiiir  tiiat  1 
was  iiiaivliiim-  wjtli  :!(),()()()  mrij  to  attack  the  ri^'lit  wins;  < 
tlic  French. 

Hiih)w,  however,  was  yd  a  lony-  way  olT  and  wlicn  tlic  Eii 
pcror  had  sent  a  cduricr  to  (iroucliy,  ordcrin-  luni  to  con 
in  behind  Hiilow.  who  wouhl  thus  be  cau-iht.  between  tw 
f'reneh  armies,  lie  merely  I'evised  the  traml)linjr  odds.  "Tli 
mornin-  we  had  ninety  points  in  our  favour."  he  said:  '•\v 
still  have  si.xty  a.irain.st  forty."  lie  di,!  not  ral.-ulate  thi 
Bliielier,  too,  was  eomin-  upon  him.  Nor  did  he  know  tliii 
his  order  to  (iroucliy  woidd  not  be  delivered  until  five  o"cIol4 
too  late  t(j  l)e  of  any  use  even  Jiad  the  absent  marshal  no 
been  hotly  en.tra'jed  at  tliat  hour  with  a  division  of  Prussian 
left  l)ehind  ;it   \Vav;e. 

Iietui'iiin-  to  his  duel  with  Wedin-ton.  Xaiioleoii  uov 
launched  his  bolt  at  the  British  centre.  It  was  one-thirt; 
when  20,0(10  French,  under  a  iiroteetinu'  sheet  of  fiames  froii 
eijzhty  gnins,  raeed  across  the  field,  the  standing'  rye  falliiu 
before  them  as  btd'ore  a  reapim^-  machin-.  A  detaciiraen' 
turned  aside  to  storm  La  ilaye  Sainte  and  attempt  the  cap 
ture  of  that  stronuhold,  wliili'  the  f^reat  body  of  advaneinc 
ti'oops  star:  d  up  the  .slippery  side  of  St.  Jeai'i.  Some  Dutcl: 
and  F.el-ians,  whom  Welliiiuton  had  posted  in  front,  brok- 
and  tied  across  the  Wavre  road  and  broke  upon  the  IJritisli 
lines. 

As  tJie  French  mounted  the  muddy  slope  in  pursuit  of  tlu' 
rieeini,'  enemy,  liowever,  they  themselves  became  a  confused 
mass.  Suddeiilx-  the  liritish  sprang'  up  from  their  ambiisciu!'-' 
behind  the  roadside  hed-.s  and  fired  at  forty  paces.  Then 
came  a  .savaue  liand  to  hand  encounter  whicii  ended  in  the 
rout  of  the  French  colunui. 

At  tile  saiix'  time  another  attackin!.r  column  met  its  sur- 
prise farthr  aloii^'  where  the  road  suddenly  sank  bcknv  tlio 
surface  of  the  field.  There  the  cuira.ssiers,  It  adinir  the  riL'ht 
of  the  column,   unexpectedly  found  themselves  at  the  brink 


).\ 


WATERLOO 


441 


of  tlie  strau'^'c  declivity.  Tlic  und;  ■mted  liom'incn  torn  tlie 
leap  dowu  into  tlir  road,  but  as  tlu'V  wm'  spuiTiii'j:  tlirir 
horses  up  '.lu'  oppositi'  l)aiik,  they  saw  only  thirty  fett  hot  ^n; 
tkiii,  a  body  of  British  Foot  tiiiards,  dL-sefudiug  at  a  furi- 
ous pari'.  Till'  Fr''iu-ii  wiicrhd  and  tied  along  the  trea-'her- 
Oiis  ravine  to  the  F.nissels  ruad,  whi   .ei-  they  escaped  from  the 

trap. 

Everywhere  u])  and  down  th,>  lidd,  the  blue  line  of  France 
was  rolh'd  liaek.  and  l'onM>nliy's  brigade  made  a  rctui'u 
charge  up  the  side  of  La  Belle  Alliance.  There  the  traces  vi 
forty  of  Xai)oleou"s  caniiou  were  cut  l)efore  the  audacious 
Britons  could  be  beaten  back  iiy  the  French  lancers,  one  of 
whom  thrust  a  fatal  spear  into  the  breast  of  the  uallant  i'on- 

soiiby. 

The  Lmperor's  lirst  blow  h.ul  utterly  failed.  After  three 
hoars  and  a.  half  of  tigliting  the  contending  aruues  were  in 
their  original  positions.  The  rye  lield.  its  golden  yellow 
eriiusoii-dyed.  had  become  a  graveyai"  P>ut  the  red  line  of 
Britain  and  the  bidod-ilrenched  walls  of  Ilougouniont  and 
La  Ilaye  Sainte  had  all  withstood  the  onset. 

Naiioleon,  nervously  innching  his  snuff,  was  fidly  aroused 
now  to  the  perils  that  were  fast  closing  in  upon  him.  He 
knew  that  the  Bnissians  already  were  forming  behind  the 
screen  of  the  Wotxl  of  Pari.s  and  another  message  from 
Grouchy  had  dashed  his  hoi)e  that  the  marshal  was  at  then- 
heels. 

Ketreat  might  have  been  prudent.  But  whither?  Face 
Paris,  with  its  coldly  unsympathetic  corjis  legislatif?  Face 
France,  with  its  disaffected  and  rebellious  population? 

No:  Napoleon's  only  refuge  was  victory.  He  must  ha.sten 
to  break  the  iiritish  centre  before  the  I'russians  came.  Fn- 
lier  u  cannonade  that  shook  the  earth  and  cracked  the  skies, 
5iMM)  Fi'eiieh  liorsemeii  pluiiiied  dowu  La  Belle  Alliance, 
loped  across  the  valley  and  spurred  up  the  still  muddy  slo[)e 
of  .\lt.  St.  dean.  There  they  rotle  over  the  British  gunners 
but  hro;-  like  an  ocean  wave  against  tiie  sipiares  of  Britisii 
iiifantrv.     A'j.aiu  and  again   ihey   were  l>eaten  otf.     Another 


412 


1^  il']    I'OOTSTKI'S  (»F   X.\l'()I,i:()\ 


drove  of  50uO  horses  swept  up  the  liill  ami  .Mill  iinotli.T  ,lrn\v 
of  .'>()00  (liishffl  tlirou-ii  III.'  liiirrii-anc  of  iron  and  tire  juid 
.spent    it.scir   111)011   the   stei  1   girt   si(uaiTs. 

"Will  those  Enii-lish  never  .show  ns  tlirii-  l)ac,;s.'"  .\apo- 
l.'on  impatiently  exclaimed,  as  he  lo\\ei-ed  his  Held  ^dasses. 
l'"oiir  times  Marsiial  .\'ey,  with  iiieivasin-'  madness,  sent  his 
horsemen  upon  .Mt.  .^t.  dean  and  four  limes  they  recoiled  ji.s 
Irom  Mil  oven  door.  They  were  the  nio^t  maLMiilieent  eliarcps 
in  the  speetacle  of  warfare,  ami  the  most  futile,  since  they 
were  iieith"r   precede, |    uov  supported   )iy    infantry. 

.Meanwhile  IlnuL'onmoiit  was  envelopei]  jn  smoke.  Its 
(h'lemlei's  i,ad  heeii  d I'i Veil  froiii  the  Liarilen  into  the  chatraii. 
Soon  its  walls  weiv  ahlaze  from  the  lii-e  of  the  Frem-li  liowit- 
>^<'''><.  and  the  liritish  lle,l  to  some  small  detached  hnildiiiirs, 
wliieh  ihey  held  to  thi'  last  airainst  sword  and  tiame.  Tin- 
fire  spread  to  the  ehapel,  iait  stopjX'd  at  a  statue  of  the  \'iriiiii 
which  is  re\erently  shown  there  to  this  day. 

The  l''rencli  captured  l.a  Ilaye  Sainte,  that  citadel  in  front 
of  the  British  ceiiti'e.  It  was  then,  if  evei-,  that  Wellinirton 
pleaded  with  fortune,  "liliicher  or  iii-lit:"  ills  red  line  was 
sa!i<rinc-  from  the  successive  hlows  liuit  had  he  n  rained  upon 
it.  Here  and  there  wei'e  yawnin.LT  uai^s  hewn  hy  the  lances 
of  France,  and  disorder  ruled  in  the  lintish  rear,  wlieiv  the 
sti-aci:lei's  from  thi'  front  Idled  the  Fore.st  of  Soign-s  with  n 
haliel   of   tonuiies. 

.Xey's  atlaek  was  even  woi-sf^  spent  than  tlie  British  iv- 
sistance.  He  hurried  a  courier  up  to  La  liel'e  Alliance  not 
fai-  Irom  six  o'clock  with  an  appeal  foi-  infantry.  "Infan- 
try." the  Fmjiei-oi-  exclaimed.  "Where  shall  I  <jv{  any! 
Would  you  ha\c  me  make  them?" 

Tlie  hattle  lictwei^n  .\apoleon  and  \Vellini:1on  really  liiM 
come  to  an  end  an  hour  before.  And  the  Duke  liad  won. 
For  he  had  nndertakeii  to  do  no  more  than  stand  his  <:roinul 
until   the  Prussians  came. 

When,  some  time  hefore  t'our  o'clock,  the  head  of  Billow's 
cohzmn  emerucd  from  the  Wood  of  i'aris  and  marched  aLrainst 
tlie  Freiieh  ritrht.  Xa[)oieon  had  altandoned  the  British  to 
Xey  and  left  him  with  onlv  4fl.iioo  men  to  face  the  jnore  tluin 


WATERLOO 


44.? 


riO.oOO  soldiers  Hint    Wfllin-ton  still  Imd.     For  tlic   Enii'<Tor 


iKr  a   larL;i'  Ik 


>il\    of   iiii'ii   from   his  fi'oiit   t 


o  sa\r   Ins 


aiichciioit. 


lad  to  t 

tliiiik   from   tlic   i'russians  at 

Till'  spire  of  tilt'  cliiiivli  of  I'laiirhrimit  still  looks  out   over 
the  tit'M  of  Waterloo,      in  the  moriiiim  of  that  hatlle  Smulav 


tile  priest  iuul  said  mass  at   i 


s  a 


Itar.      In  t 


var 


•d  was  reddened  witii  the  Mood  of  < 


le  aili'i'tioon.   its 


•an<   and 


'I'ellt 
■1 


on,  till 
f( 


s    eai'ly    as    lour 
I'lissiaiis  asrainst 


combat    rairinfi^  fiercest    aboiiT    its    walls.     .\^ 

thirty,  tliis  second  battle  beixan  with  .lu.doo  1 

the  2(M)(I0  French,  whose  vaniiiiard  was  the  h'iftli  of  the  line, 

the  battalion  that  the   Kmperor  had  eoni|iierrd  with  a  Lilancc 


in   the    delih' 


of    LatVrey    as    he    marehed    liack    I'roiii    Klli; 
Phiiu'brnoit   '•h;iii,i,'ed   masters  with   liiihtiiinL;-  rajodity   as  the 
villai;e  was  fallen  and   retaken.     At    last   thr  French   held   it 
.so  well   in  liaiii 
ton  auain  at  seven  oeloe 


1  that  the   I'lmperor  could  turn  u[)on  Wellin^'-- 


Tlie  earlv  summer  sun  still  i:ranted   hii 


a   respite  of  two 


hours  when  he  rode  down  into  the  valley,  where  from  La  Have 
Sainte,  liis  eye  swept  the  thin  and  .ja'JL'ed   liiirish  line.      Hut 


there  remained  to  him  onlv  'A'tOO  of  his  ( 


uard 


behind  that 


frairiiieiit  of  his  iiivineihle  corps,  he  liathered  the  wi'ei'ka'jc  of 


his  army,  jiuttinir  in  his  last  man  for  ot 
I'flort  tn  turn  the  tidi 


le  supremi',  desperate 


W 


lllie    lie    wa 


s  preparing'-  for  the  attai'k.  a  cai)taiu  of  carai)i- 
iii'crs  deserted  his  ranks  and  raced  alieail  throiiLrli  the  hail  of 

leiii.v.     Raisiic;-  his  riLdit 


shot 


laiii 


and  shell 
as    he    ( 


straight  toward  the  ii 
Ircw    near   tin-    British,    the    traitoi-   ei'ied    out 


'LoilL'    l;\e    the    Kill 


th 


viiiiiand 


he    redeoats   lowered 


leir  iruiis   lietore   their  strauL'e    visitor,    who   now    shouted 


ihtV 


"<;et  re 
bis  <;iiard  i 


Xapoleon,  the  scoundrel,  will  he  upon  you  with 


n   less 


than  half  an  1 


lour 


The  British  line  closed  up  and  braced  itself  for  the  assault. 


:-vcii 


.Vapo 


eon    himself   mit.rht   ciinie,    for    Bliicher,   t 


ot).    was 


coniiiiir,  as  every  bulldoi:  in  the  pack  well  knew. 

Forward  moved  the  little  band  of  F'reiich.  Even  as  they 
went,  the  van  of  Bliidier's  Prussians  burst  upon  the  scene 
from  Bapelotte.  A  thrill  of  panic  ran  throu-h  the  slender 
ranks  of  the  advancing  column  of  French  an  thev  looked  into 


444 


IX  Till-:   !■'()( )TSTi: I 'S  OF  NAI'OI.KOX 


thr  hiirrvls  of  Wrlliirjton  "s  inii/zlr-,  in  front  of  tlinn,  !i,.a 
liiilou  still  pouiHliii-  iii„iii  thru-  Hank  and  saw  HIucIk't  hk. 
irju'  iipnti  their  I'i^ht. 

The  I'ln-mu  ton.s  of  th,.  niast-T's  voir,,  rallied  tlirm  ai 
'"•""^'•'i  ''"'i''  ''•■il!i'-  >l'int,  ('(.iiriiTs  uvrr  smt  owr  thr  fj,. 
to  spread  the  ehrcrinu  delusion  that  (Iroiiehv,  too,  wii-  coi 
iwi.  Now  the  (iiiard  went  forwar.l  as  steady  as  if  on  r 
VU'W.  Ird  In-  \,.y,  I, IS  taee  l),.j.rrinird  with  powder,  his  swoi 
broken,  his  hat  an<l  euat  nnt  hy  Imllets.  As  he  went,  ti 
luarshars  horse  was  shot  from  uiuh^r  him  for  the  tifth 'tin 
that  afternonn  and  the  marshal  rolIiMJ  on  tlu-  L^i'ound;  hu 
stni-.Jiiit,'  to  his  feet  and  waviie^-  his  broken  sword,  I 
marehed  on  afont. 

When  the  Freiirh  eame  within  2(H)  yards,  tlie  British  cai 
"""  f'"'""''  ill  ll'eir  faces.  Vet  the  .diar-in-  battalions  di 
not  bend  before  die  yawniiiLT  -uns,  hut  dmwned  their  roii 
with  shouts  (d'  --Vive  rKmpereur.--  Sweepin-  over  tiie  Hrii 
ish  batteries,  and.  snifling  victory  at  last,  they  rushed  on  wit 
quiel<cninL;'   pai'i'. 

Div.sion  commanders  cried  out  to  Wellin-ton  for  reinforce 
nieiits  to  save  their  troops  from  destruetion.  Bui  he  ha, 
none  to  -iv...  '-Fet  tlnmi  all  die."  the  Iron  Duke  replied  a 
he  stood  hy  the  elm  tree  beside  the  Brussels  road,  '•llok 
on  to  the^  very  lust  man,  so  as  to  irive  ;he  Prussians  time  t( 
eome  n;:."' 

'idle  Fi-eiKdi  now.  near  eiL'ht  oVdook,  were  fdose  upon  tht 
Duke  Jiimseif  when  he  -:ave  th..  memorabh'  omnmnnd 
"Stand  up  (iuards  ;ind  make  ready:"  Tiie  British  Fool 
Tiuards,  who  lia,i  been  lyin._r  i,,  wait,  spraiii:  from  tlH>  eartli 
like  drauons"  teeth  and  ojiened  a  murderous  fire  at  .si.xty 
paces.  Still,  leaping'  over  their  own  chad  and  w(mnded,  oil 
'•anie  tlie  (laiils  to  Inirl  tli(.-.nselv..s  agrainst  the  i  diless  steel, 
and   tlien  .staiiucr  back. 

In  tliat  instant  when  th,"  ()1([  (iuard  recoiled,  the  name  of 
Waterloo  became  forev,.r  a  synonym  not  of  victory  but  of 
d..feat.  "^ 

The  death  cry  of  the  Iv.ipire  ran?  ont  on  the  eveninir  air: 
"The  Guard  uives  way!"     "The  (Uuird  gives  way!"~   For 


\VATi:iJI.(JU 


A\r^ 


il  llii'iii  arnl 
vrr  thr  tirM 
(),  was  com- 
is  if  on  re- 
■,  Ins  swon! 
!■  went,  tii. 
'■  tiftli  tiiiic 
I'oimd  :  liut. 
sword,   !if 


le  name  oi 
)rv  but  of 


tlif  first   time  on  any  lirld,   that    laniriitat ion   ran   tlii'ouijli   lli 
milks  of  i''i-aiifi',  as  tlir  >trickrii  (luard  reeled  l^aek 


k,  (•aii'jlit   111 


dfiiioralisiii'-;'    ci'oss    lir( 


■('     from     tile     victorious     fo 


e>,     who 


s\variii''d  alioiit   it. 


lil 


Ui-lii 


■i'"s  l'ni.s>i 


aiis  wei.'  now  u'ettinL'   into  ai'tioii  and   fast 


\V(1t 


kinir  in   liehind   tin    I-'reiieh.  wjieii   Wellineton    i 


OSe    111    Ins 

stirrups  and  waviMJ  his  cocked  hat.  .\t  that  si'.jnal,  tiic  wliolc 
I5ritish  army  poured  down  Mt.  St.  dean  and  fell  iijion  the 
sta-riTerinj,'  foe. 

Not  far  from  the  spot  wln'rc  France  lias  planted  a  mcinorial 
seiilptiire  of  a  womided  ea'jle,  .\apoleon,  sittiuii  on  lii.s  litth; 
uiiite  Imise  liy  tile  wall  of  La  liaye  Sainte,  strove  onee  more 
and  for  the  last  time,  to  form  a  iiiarti.il  line  lie  had  onl\ 
one  round  of  shot  left  for  his  hatti'ry.  i5ut  he  pieced  to- 
j.'i'tlier  a  few  l)i'okcn  t'raii'iiients  of  the  (iuard  and  raniiinLT 
thi'iii  in  three  sipiares  for  an  orderly  retreat,  he  took  his 
place  ill  the  centre  of  one  of  them. 


As   those    frail    S(|uares    retreated 


across    til 


e    valjev.    with 


II;.'    liULie 


llritisl 


1  s(|uai'cs   poiindiiie-  auainst  them    like  hatter 


iii'i  rams,  they  <rrew  thinner  and  thinner.  Soon  XajiohM)!! 
Ifl't  tliciii.  and  with  a  few  (diasseiirs  lleil  the  lost  field,  hitterlv 
to  lam. lit  in  aft'i' lime.  "Waterloo!  Waterloo!  It  is  there  I 
should   have  died  !"' 

A   IJritish   officer  yelled   to   the   flnard    to  surrender.     Its 
I'Oiiiniander,   Camhronnc.   was  a   rude,   uncouth   son  of   .Mars 


who,  i-H  a  lio'liti 


nv:  man,   had  succeedec 


I   La  'I 


our  d 


m    t 


honourary  post  of  the  first  grenadier  of  Frai 


All 
ice 


vercne 
lis 


n'i'ly  to  the  Briton  was  not  at  all  the  polite  am]  even  noble 
observation,  '"I'he  Old  (iuard  dies,  but  never  surri'iiders!" 
whi.'li  a  Parisian  .journalist  siibstitute(i  for  the  unprintable 
"ritriiial.  Vet  that  was  what  Cambroniie  should  have  said, 
(nr  that  was  his  spii'it.  He  and  the  (iuard  slashed  a  jiath 
to  the  height  of  La  Belle  Alliance.  Then  he  fell  from  a  ball 
that  struck  him  in  the  face  and  became  a  captive  in  the  hands 
of  the  foe. 

As  Marshal  Xey  had  b(>en  tlie  first  to  advance.  h(>  was  de- 
ter--.ined  to  be  the  last  to  retreat.  In  the  midst  of  the  wihl 
rout,  he  iint)lored  the  .soldiers  as  they  raced  by  him  to  stop 


»■»«  lA    niK   l-OUTSTKi-S  (,F  X.\  I'.  (IJ.;,  ,v 

-'  -'-:::  ^;;::,;v,:"rz- "'" "'"  -' '- ' 

""   to  ..,„  i.n..niiniuns   t.,,.,  ""'  J-n,,nv  and  sw.-p 

■Mlianr,.,  u|„.,v   thr    l'r„.si.,ns    |ni,„.,i   ,|„.,,,       mm,   ,■      \      i 

;- ^".1  i.-in,,.  ,,HH,,.,.  ....i^a  ,,l:;i;::;  J  :,;:,; '■"!;.',; 

'ro,.o„.ont  a.,  u  n:rsai:;::\r";;:.^^^^^ 

The   ;;--•-;   th..haf,l,.   ......    fairly  oqnnl.     Th.   Fmu.h 

hi,  7  ■  ";       "'"""■'■''   ^'-^'-"--t-l  =>''0"t  2:5.000.  or 

ost  .s..(K»:   th.-   Ilanovcnans,   Durdi  and   Heh-ians    7.¥)0    ■,!„ 
th-    IVnss.aus    T.XHI,    or    a    total    of   2:5.000    Jor 'tluM 

tr\  r/"";-^'  ^^-^'^  '^---^  '•■  ^^-•^•"'  -hose tii.^ : 

of  despair,  NapoLon  rode  tln-ou.^h  th,-  m^hl,  his  bridl.  reins 


».\ 


WATKIJI-OO 


ir 


till    hcM   IN 
i'-'rlon,  "u, 

S    \S(M-C   L'cillf 
i<'ti     Ilis    111,11 

ilMll      src     ;| 
;nl     (|,'C|Tii| 

111  \;iiii  li.- 

Itf    l-JlllL'Ilt 

and  swrpt 
'I  l-a  H,II,. 

r  Wflliiii:. 
tDI'.W        The 

lie  jillfsuit 
I'oiiii'd  till' 
mI    left    lii> 

tiJ    I't.*C()\CI' 


:..  .■  11    frMtii    liis   li.iiKi    ,111(1    1\  iiiLT   on   the    neck   ni'   his   liorso. 
At    iiiuliii'jiit    III'    |.;isM'i|    (ivrr   thr   hat t li'tii'li I   uf  (^imti','    |',ras, 

'  '  IV    thr    iiKioii    f.'Nti'il    iiki'   a    sjiotli'jht    ii|ii>n    thr    liiiili,'^   dl' 
•  •    drad,   stri|i|H'i|    iiakrd    hy   the   LihoiiK  of   war   and   ih'iiiid 

'ii'i'  a   L:fa\r  uv  a  Nhirt   to  cdXrc  thnii, 

Airi\iii.j-  at    (  liarl.'ini   at   davlnTak,   he    I'lTrd  hiiiisrll'   fi'diii 
;:•    wretched  iiioh  ot'  -IHJIHO  to  liasteii  to   I'aias.      His  treasiiiv 

.i-:nii  was  east  asiih',  and  tile  i)0|uihiet'  and  the  drunken  sol- 
<'}'    lilunderi'ii    its   hai^s   of  ■.'ohl.     The    imperial    eoadi    was 

I  iiidoiied   and    in    it   a    lot    of   iliaiiiDiids,    uhieli   a    Prussian 

.tjiir  elaiiiied  as  his  hooty. 

\^  Xapoh'on  re-entered   I-' ranee  and  left   the  iii._;ht  of  horror 

■'liiid  him.  he  took  heart  to  ar'uiie.  "All  is  not   lost."      I'.iit  a 

riiaoiu'  of  thr  catastrophe  sped  on  liefore  him,  and  a  sti'anL:t.' 

iiisli  rested  uiioii  the  i)eoi)le  as  the  fallen  Colossus  passed  by. 


Ills  Slerp- 
tllc  cliillils 

windrows 
liouses   of 

with  the 
illi         itii 

e  j:rouiid 

>  French 
•),000,  or 
eniselves, 
500,  and 

e  Allies, 
iliulit  in- 
e  thrown 


e  silence 
He  reins 


THE  CAI'TIV  i;   i:.\(iLH 
iMir>    .\r;E   I'.-ir! 

AFv'I>M\'l.\(;   in   I'.iris  ih,.  thin]  mnriiiii._r  nftrr  WatiTlo 
with  tlir  |.;i||<ir  ,,r  ii  L'lviit  calaniity  in  Ins  l';u-c  iiiid 
iiiiniilt  of  iiM,,tiiin>  HI  his  ",  -ast.  Njpolniii  ali-rlitt'd  h 
i'oiv  thr  VAysi'-,'  paiiicc.      li,.  was  siili  covcnHJ  with  the  dust  ( 

tlif  hatth'  anil  th.'  n.iit.      His  staff  wvi \cit,.,i  and  red  eye( 

tht'ir  .-liiilirs  lihind  stained  and  locn  hy  liulhls  and  sahrcs. 

'I'lieiT  was  no  ai.peal  from  the  vcnlirt  (d'  Waterloo.     Xap( 

h»n  roniplained  tliat  if  ii,.  !i;id  1 n  th.>  Kinu'  of  Kn<.d;iiid  ii 

!>tr;id  of  Kni|.,-i'(.i>  .d'  thr  Kivnrh.  !ir  roiild  have  lost  the  iiattl 
without  hisin-  a  \.,tr  in  parliament.  Wat.-rlo,)  was  luoi 
than  a   hattlr  lo>t.      It  uas  a  ralast  n.phr.  a  drhacle. 

''  "''^  '"•  'I"''''  ini>a.|vrniiir.'.  no  nnlu(d<y  ae.ddent.  1 
was  iK.t  lost  s(.  niu.-h  l.y  l;hi,  h-r's  (dianrin'_'  t",  .join  W.'llinf 
ton  as  hy  the  .inin-tion  of  those  ever  invineihle  allies,  eaiise  an 
••ffret.  On  that  fatal  fi..|d.  Napoleon  reape,]  tin'  whirlwim 
All  the  mistakes  an. I  fanlt-,  of  his  lif,.  rosr  hrfore  him.  as  b* 
fore  a  drowning  man,  and  inili-ted  npoi:  liun  their  inexornlil 
j)eiia]ty.  Waterloo  aas  more  a  moral  than  a  militarv  di- 
aster. 

The  Kmperor  never  felt  more  lit  than  on  the  morninir  o 
the  l.attle.  Never  on  any  ij.dd  Imd  lie  more  uladly,  more  eon 
iidently  drawn  his  swoi'd.  As  he  himself  enthusiasticall: 
testified,  his  ;ii-;iy  surpassed  itself  in  \aloiir.  For  twelv 
hours  of  dayli-ht.  he  had  tlu-  heaviest  battalions  on  his  sidt 
with  more  men.  more  cannon,  and  more  horses  than  Welliiij; 
'""■  ""^  '"  "!'■  hlin.iness  of  self-eonHdence,  he  who  li;u 
hiiiuhrd  at  the  Pyrenees  and  the  .Mjis.  at  rivers  and  desert? 
i<ile(i  away  nine  hours  beeanse  of  a  little  mud  that  would  no 
iiave  h.'en  sutVered  to  tlelay  ;i  football  -^anie. 

448 


'!'!!!;  *A!'!i\  i:    I'AM.i; 


n't 


r  Watorlnn. 

lacf  iiiiil  a 
alit'litcd  lic- 

thi'  (lust  of 
111  I'i'd  eyt'ii, 

I  ^al)^'s. 
loo.     Xajto- 
lOuLrlaixl  111- 
;t  tlic  Iiattlt' 

was    iimrf 

•i-iiiciit.  It 
in  Wcllin?- 
■i,  causf  and 
wliirlwiml. 
liiiii.  as  111- 
•  inoxonili!' 
ilitary  dis- 

inorniiifr  of 
,  iiion-  (Miii- 
usiiistically 
For  twilvr 
)ii  liis  side. 

II  Wclliiii:- 
■  who  had 
ml  dt'scrts. 

would  "lOt 


If  he  had  to  Hpht  tlireo  hattlos  nt  once,  it  was  nnl\   hrrjiusr 

::<■    ll.'irl.'Ct.-d     Ills    oppoitlltlity     to     flL'ld     tll.lll    (Mir    at     a     tlinr. 

Frnm  suiiri-se  imtil  foiir-tliirty  in  tlic  afternoon.  WcliinLMun 
alone  stood  before  lui,,.  liitlow's  I'riis.sian.s  did  not  ,.,miic 
up  until  four-thirty.  It  ua.s  seven. tliirly  and  lat.r-  l„lniv 
liiiiidii-r's  army  appcand  .,n  the  (i.dd. 

Xow.  when,  for  the  fourth  liinr  ui  lour  yr.ns,  thr  Kmp,  ror 
rcIiU'Ucd  to  Paris  in  drt'r.n  -.iuA  u  it  hmit '  ;,ii  ;irin>,  patriots 
(lc.s|)airine|y  tiiriied  ;iw;i>  froni  him  and  I  iiue-servrrs  shniuird 
the  vietim  of  ill  hnli.  •■\\h^^/'  iM.iirli.'.  roi.iphiiihd.  ••the 
gamester  can't  even  win  a  play  any  morel"  Win!.-  that  in, 
mortal  sleuth  crept  alioiit,  plottin-  to  make  hims.df  the  T,d 
!-yraii(I.^  the    niana-er    of    this    second    downfall,    the    e.,rps 

:i>t,itif  listened  to  the  disinterested  eouneils  nf  Lafawtte 
.Hid  inidertook  to  assume  the  control  of  the  eovernment.  All 
fiH-tious  .sou-rht  l.y  disownin-  and  discarditiL'  Napoleon  to 
ajipcase  the  Allies  and  arivsi   tlndr  maivh  on   Pans. 

At  noon  of  his  seeond  day  in  Paris,  the  oiie-tiine  master  of 
Europe  ree(dved   the   hlimt   niaire   that    the   h-isiative   hodies 

'-■ave  him  an   hour  to   lay   .lown   the  sceptre.     ()i more   he 

took  up  his  jieii  t,,  urit,.  an  act  of  ah.licaf ion.  A  [iro- 
viMoiial  fritvcrnmeiit  of  live  was  estaidislied  hy  the  le^'isla- 
tors.^with  Carnot  and  Caulaineoiirt  amoni!  its  nundiers  and 
the  tVlinc   Fouche  as   its   |)resident.      While   that    hodv  sat    in 

state ^at   the  'ruileries,  the  dethroned   naivli   lin-eivd  on  in 

thej'llyst-e.  almost  a  sfi-an-ei'  at,  the  seal   <,['  his  lOmpire. 

Fouehe  could  not  sit  easy  in  his  chair  while  the  master 
whom  he  had  so  often  betrayed  remained  only  a  few  hundred 
iVot  away.  He  must  exoreisc  the  ejiost  in  the  Klysee.  and  it 
^';is  .Marshal  Davout  who  accepted  the  d.dicate  task  of  order- 
in-.'  away  from  Paris  the  man  wlio  had  ma.le  him  the  Prince 
■•'■  Kckmiihl. 

''"<■  oaptor  (d'  the  capitals  nf  Europe  retreated  from  his 
own  capital  the  Sunday  after  the  Pattle  ,d'  Wat.'rloo.  As  he 
Went,  he  pas.se(l  hy  the  Arch  of  Triumph,  tlu'  andi  of  his  star, 
which  looked  down  upon  him  only  to  deride  his  fallen  for- 
tunes. 

The  late  lord   of  the  Tuileries.  of  Fontaineblean,  of  Com- 


i:.(j 


l\   Tin;    !■  <  M  )TsT|;|>s  (•[•■   \  .\  j-i  .[j.-j  ,v 


Virauv,  of  Rninlioiiill.f    no  lontrcr  Im.l  »   roof  t'laf    li. 
••all   h\s  own.     N„  ,l„„|,t   tlinv   unv  still    rri..,.,|.s  wlio  u 
w.'Ic-oiM,.  iiim  to  thrir  |,.,rM,.s.      II,.  kur^v.  |,„u,vrf    lint  t 
l'»s,Mt;ility  to  hi,,,   |,.u1mMv  u„„|,|   mh;,,,  Ih,,,-  ,•„,..  uinlcr 
rfl,iri,iii'_'  lk)iirli(iiis. 

I"  fl'iit  pii-ht  I,..  thn,|.,l,t  ,,f  ,,„|v  .,„.■  ivIuK,-  ir  |„.  V 
to  An,l,„;,,s,,„.  ul,„l,  ).,.  |,;„1  .iv,„  In.|,,M.,,l,in..,  smvlvMo 
|v..i,|,|  ,,,„„s|,  i|,„t,„sr  for  op.uin^'  its  doors  to  him"  W 
!'•  I"tf  i';ins.  tl,..n.iMr,..  1„.  ,|rnv,.  f„  fh;,t  .liAt..;,,!  of  tlir  I 
';""'!">-  «'t  tl„.  CoiiNiil;,!,.,  wiun  all  th..  woH.I  was  voi 
I'Ut  I,..  Unrw  that  t'vvn  that  shHtcr  would  he  dcnifd  him 
■'<  l"W  davs.  11,.  was  not  only  s,il,.j,.,.t  t.»  Fou.-h,-.'s  or.l 
I'ln  til,.  AII1..S  w<.rr  nioviiiLT  <lown  tl...  vallrv  of  th..  Oi.s,. 
tlH'ir  rnan-l,  to  I'a.is  far  ,i,u,.,.  iul,  „!  on  raptinin..  him  tl 
on  takinyr  tlir  city, 

.M.irsh.-.l   |{liirh..r  llii,..!,.,!  in,-  hi^  h|u„d  an,l  lono,d  tosh 
"'"  ■''  ""■  '"■■"I  "'■  l"s  l',n.sian  rolnnnis.      Tlic   Dnk,.  of  W 
Im-ton   ol).|..,.t,d    to   any   siid,    siiininarv    a,t,..n       "Xapoh 
<lo,.s  not  h..|ontr  to  y.Mi  ,■     •  to  1,1,.."  tli,.  I),ik,.  a,- Mir,]    "h„t 
•'!"■    -^"Vi.n.i-ns.    who    u,l!    ,l„.„|„    |,,s    fa,,.    i„    tl,..    nai,,- 
i-.'irop,..      SImhiI,!    they    r...,,,!,.,.    an    .■x,.,.,,ti. .„.■,■.     I    sl,all 
'|U".st  tlK'ni  to  .s....k  so,,,..  oth.T  than  ,„.■.  a,,. I   1  a.lvis.-  yoii 
thi'  sake  of  your  fan,...  to   foll,,\v  n,\-  ..xan,].],.  " 

<'M'tiv,ty  .0-  tli.ht  was  ih,.  ,.h„i,;  ,„.,.s..„t..,l  to  Xa,,,,!., 
II.-  r.M,...t,.,l  .s„i,.„i,.  as  a  naans  ,,1  ..srap,..  an.l  sr„n„.,i  a  .-h, 
JiHrnst..-  s,i-,.,stion  fn,,,,  {•■n„rl„-  that  !,.■  snrak  off  „,  ,1 
KUiso  .Most  of  Ins  a.lvis,.rs  ,n-,.,l  hin.  to  .s,...k  a.svlui,.  in  t 
ln.t..,l  .stat._.s:  <,.„.■.■„  ilo,l,.ns..  s„-...t..,l  that  !,.•  sho.i 
rns  |„n,s..|l  to  h,s  fat!,..,Mn-law.  tl„.  Kmp,.n,r  of  \nstr 
(  iiiil.-,..,.'.M„i  prop.,s,.,|  that  i„.  sho,ii,l  .•ho.,s,.  K>u,sia  and  arce 
tlif  prot...-tio,i  of  iiis  .,M  f|.i,,,id.  th..  C/ar  Al.'xan.l..,' 

Niipol,....,  hi,us,lf  strondy  pn.f..rn.,|  Kndan.l.  '-(Jive  m 
sMl  up  to  .\ustria?--!,..  .sai.l.  "X,.v,.r.  Sh,-  ha.s  sriz,..!  „,„ 
>ny  w.  ..  and  n,y  son,  (;iv..  niy.s.If  np  to  Rn.s.sia,'  Th 
w.M,  ,1  „.  to  .,n..  M,an  only.  B„t  to  ^'iv,.  ,„vs,.If  np  to  En 
lan.l— thaf  woid.l  1...  to  throw  iny.s,.|f  „,„,„  a  propl..." 

,"'■   •'■■"1    '■'•a.son   .„onuh   i,ot    to  s.vk   thr   hospitality  of  ,■„ 
01  thr  c-ounln..s  hr  Jia.i  r,,n,pu'n.d.     Caidaineourt  tvinrd  thi 


Tin:  'Ai'TiNi:  i:.\<,i.K 


451 


.wii  the  Kiitrlisli  w.iv  too  rmbith  inl  by  tin  ir  loiiu'  .«;trut:^'Ie 
iiL'iiiiist  liim  \>>  ^:i\r  l.nn  ii  u't-nerous  welcome.  '•Then,  as  I 
urn  ri'fiisiil  ill.'  siMirts  lit'  nun."  lie  I'lplnd.  "I  sluill  hctnki' 
■nysflf  to  the  liosoin  ol  initnii'  .Mhl  <  njoy  tli.'  ^,(llitll(l^  tliiit 
.iits  my  Inst  tlioii'-'lits."  Thus  hr  .xprrssftl  his  decision  to 
J.I  In  AiiU'rifii.  whirh   lie  seemed   to  itlmi'iI  ;is  a  .semisavajre 

UlMrftH'SS. 

As  the  haidshrd  ninn;ii'.li  |MV[i;irr,|  tn  d''|>,ift  with  tlir  little 
i'Oiu|>aiiy  'li'i'  li:id  \nliinti md  \n  sli.n',-  |ii>  exile,  (^iieeii  llor- 
trii«.e.  who  Imd  pnsided  ovei'  his  home  tliro'.i'.diuiit  the  Ilmi 
i|iv(|  I  >iiys  and  who  was  his  hostess  at  .Maliiiaisoii,  insisted 
oil  his  receiving  tVnm  InT  ,i  diamond  iieeklaee  as  the  last  tes- 
liiiioiiial  of  her  lievotioii.  The  ueekhiee  could  be  easily  ear- 
rii'il  and  eoiieealed,  and  in  ease  of  need,  its  stones  would  liriii" 
liiiii  $4(),()00. 

Cardinal  Feseh  and  .Mim'.  ^lere  came,  as  to  the  eill  ni  thr 
londeiiiiieil,  to  say  i:oodd)ye.  The  memory  of  dosepliiiie,  wliiidi 
hinl  haunted  him  tliroiii^liout  his  stny  at  .Midinaisnn.  received 
the  exile's  last  larewrjl.  Alniir  m  hei'  imini  he  held  euin 
tmiliioii  with  the  spirit  of  thr  drad  as  he  hims.lr  was  aiioul 
to  ••liter  into  a  liviii<,'  (hath. 

Out  on  the  lawn  at  Malinaison.  a  ston.'  lias  hern  i-!ierislied 
now  For  a  century.  Tpon  that  rarriare  Murk.  Xapoleoii  took 
his  last  step  at  the  eliatraii  and  lii>  tirst  step  mto  exile,  when, 
in  the  waniii^  of  the  tnitli  <lay  after  Watei'loo.  he  enti're<l  the 
i-urrii|ir(.  that  was  to  hear  him  away  from  si'eiies  .si>  liappil\- 
awieiated  with   his  vanisiied  hoprs  and   his  vanish, d   riorv. 

Di'ivintr  to  the  im[ie,ial  chateau  of  Kamhouinet.  he  ,sl,.pt 
tortile  last  time  heiieath  a  palace  roof.  The  next  dav  he  re- 
sumed his  .journey,  whirh  led  him  through  Tours  and  Xiort 
t'l  the  naval  port  of  Kochi'foi't,  on  the   Hay  of  Biscay. 

Nnw  as  ever  wlirti  h,.  turned  his  fare  to  the  water,  he  was 
euiifroiiteil  with  the  wooden  walls  of  Kn^land.  whose  uhiipii- 
toiis  ships  lay  at  the  harhour  mouth.  Driven  forth  from  the 
lautl.  even  the  ocean  rrlnscd  him  a  liavm. 

Various  and  eipiall\-  doiihtful  ju-ojerts  were  preseiitrd  for 
ruiiiiinir  the  British  hlockade.  Napoleon's  ju'idr  rr.jected  the 
proposal  of    a   Danisli   captain   to  conceal    him    in   a   barrel 


452 


IN  TIIK  FOOTSTEPS  OF  XAPOLEOX 


aboard  n  iinM-clinnt  vessel,  ami  ho  hcsitiittnl  to  risk  a  rnnnii 
fi^'lit  tlirouL:h  the  lilnckadiiiL;-  Hret,  wiiieh  a  French  naval  ca] 
tain  (ifrrrcd  to  iindei'take.  .Joseph  I?(ina[)ai1e  besouL'ht  hi 
to  protit  hy  ihrii'  dose  resemhlanee  anii  take  the  ealiin  he  1ih 
ehuM'^ed  ai)()ard  an  AiiH'riea'i  ship.  sailiiiLi'  t'l-oni  Boi'deaii 
Napoleon,  howe'-er,  wonld  not  consent  to  seek  sal'ety  for  liin 
self  at  the  sacrifice  of  his  l)i'otliei''s. 

In  tile  iindst  of  that  coidusion  of  counsels,  he  reccivi- 
I>ereinii^ory  orilers  to  move  on  once  more.  On  the  very  (hi 
when  Louis  XVII 1  re-entered  the  Tuiiei'ies  at  Paris,  the  di 
throned  sovereign  went  to  the  village  of  Fouras,  which  sil 
on  the  outv'rniost  headland  of  the  coast.  There  on  the  pit 
of  Fouras,  some  loyal  hand  has  carved  the  name  of  Napoko 
to  iriai'k  the  last  spot  on  the  mainland  of  France  which  ;ii 
outcast  KmjMfor  ti'od  hefore  he  hoarded  the  Frciich  irifrat 
S(i(tl(,  and  accepted  the  oidy  rcfuire  left  him  beneath  his  flat 

Presuniahly  the  llourlions,  ii  he  had  fallen  into  their  hand: 
would  not  have  been  any  more  lenient  than  the  Prussian: 
Thev  did  not  hesitate  to  stand  Marshal  Xev  up  aLjainst  th 
gar,\'n  wall  of  tlie  Luxembourg;  and  shoot  down  that  '  bra\ 
est  of  the  lirave"  in  the  (Irand  Army  because  he  had  followc' 
his  soldiers  in  their  break  to  the  Emperor.  Labedoyere.  th 
enthusiastic  youn^'  otHicer  who  delivered  his  i'c'_Mment  ove 
to  the  Emperor  as  he  was  marchinp:  on  (irenoblo,  met  th 
same  extreiin'  puinshment  for  breakiiiLr  his  oath  of  allci.'iaiir 
to  Louis  XVIII,  and  Lavalette,  XapCjleon's  old-time  stall' ot 
ticer,  whom  he  married  to  one  of  Ilortense's  schoolmates  a 
^Ime.  Camf^an's,  was  saved  fr'om  a  like  fate  only  by  the  clcx 
erness  and  coura.iie  of  his  beautiful  wife.  Mme.  Lavalettt 
havintr  smuti'iiled  Iierself  into  her  husband's  i)rison  aii' 
chani,'ed  clothes  with  him,  took  his  place  in  the  cell  whi! 
he  made  ^ood  his  escafie.  i!ut  the  ordeal  (piite  u[iset  th 
reason  of  the  plucky  and  devoted  woman  and  k'ft  her  liopt 
lessly  mad  the  rest  of  her  days. 

Another  traiiH'dy  of  the  downfall  was  the  death  of  Mura! 
The  fuLiitive  KiiiLT  of  Xaples.  rehutVed  i)y  Napoleon  from  tli 
shori's  of  Franee,  tried  to  enudate  th(>  Emperor's  return  froii 
Elba.     But  he  had  uo  soouer  lauded  ou  the  coast  of  his  foruie 


)X 


k  ;i  ninninL.' 

1    IKlV.'ll   r;i|,. 

'NOUL'ht  him 
ahiii  !ir  hiid 
1  Hordi'iiu.x 
■ty  for  liiiii- 

iic  t'('(_'('ivi'(l 
If  Very  liay 
ir's,  ihc  ilt- 
,  wliirli  si^ 
oil  the  pit  r 
:)f  Napoknii 
L'  wliii'l.  ;iu' 
>iich  frigiitr 
ath  Ills  tlii'.'. 
their  hands. 
'  Prussiaiis. 
against  tW 
that  '  hniv- 
ad  followfii 
'doyere.  the 
riiiii'iit  over 
\o,  mot  tile 
f  allciriaiii''' 
Die  start'  o!'- 
ooliiiates  iit 
hy  the  clfV- 
.  Lavalette, 
pi'isoii  ainl 
>  cell  wtiil'- 
■  upset  till' 
't   lier  llOpe- 

1  of  Murat. 
)i:  from  tlu' 
-eturu  from 
I  his  former 


THE  CAPTIVE  EAGLE 


453 


kincdnir.  than  he  was  arrested.     Reins  tried  on  tlie  spot  and 


to  death,  lie  stood  before  the  tiring  S(iuad  with 


ess  a 


;i|i[m;i1  that  was  eharaeteristie  at  once  of  liis  weakii 
-Mvii^th:     "Spare  my  faee  and  tire  at  my  heart. 
.Ml  tlie  while  Xapoh'ou's  own  original  ehoiee  of  tl 


nd  1 


an 

lis 


ipon  the  liiitish  nation  was  only  ga 


d  always  known  England  as  the  inviohil)l 


irowini]^ 
inin<;  in  strenutli. 


e  sanetuarv  o 


f 


uiilei-tiuiate  monarehs  and   patriots.     He  had  seen  it  slielter 
the  Heiu'ljons  from  the  storms  of  the  Hevol'ition  and  of  the 


n  his  Corsican  youth  he  had  revered  it  as  the  i 


tro- 


Knipire 

'tor  imd  host  of  Paoli,  and  had  his  mother  not  resisted  his 
fathrr's  wisii  to  accompany  that  island  chieftain,  he  himself 


.Vdllh 


have  been  liorn  under  its  proteetion 


lie  knew,  of  course,  that  Paoli  or  Louis  XVIII  had  not. 


ik..  I 


IllllSt 


If,  be 


en  an  enemy  of  England.     But  he  would  not 


til  her  a.s  tile  warrior  and  monarch  who  had  foutiht  1 


ler 


I'lr  t\vcnty  years.     He  would  eve 


n  ehaiiLfe 


his  n 


ime  and  cal 


l:i!ii> 


Colonel   ;\Iuiron  or  General   Duroc  after  one  or  th< 


ef  those  friends  who  had  fallen  !iv  1 


lis  sui 


tiow- 


i-Vi 


•r,  Knuland  should  turn  him  away,  he  could  still  adopt  his 


'^(•foiid  choice  and  go  to  America. 


T 


•>\o  (if  his  retinue,  Savary  and  Las  Cases,  were  sent  to  tl 


le 


riii-h   ship    liillrroiihon    to  sound   its   commander,   C 


aptain 


:iiil;iiid.     In   his   natural    eagerness  to   have  the   credit   of 
vcrinr^  Napoleon  over  to  the  crovernment  at   London,  the 

ai'tiiiti    w 


i|'-li 


as  most   cordial    if   not   specific   in   his   assur 


■mces. 


h 


!'■  did  not  make  it  his  husiness  to  tell  his  visitors  that  he  had 
•  cii  ordered  to  "take  Honaparte"  if  he  could  and  •'briii'.' 
im   ti>  the    nearest    English    [)ort    in   all    |U)ssihle   haste   and 


.■^fcrcc\ 


But  Xanoleon  himself  very  well  knew  that  his  fate  did  not 
hands  of  a  naval  captain,  and  before  he  went 
litlh  rophou.    he    made    this   eloquent    appeal    to 


ri'st  111  till 
abonnl  tin 
''forujc  IV,  Prince  Kei,n'nt  of  E 


and 


11 


)  oitr  lioiKtJ  Jfiiilinrss  : 

Kxposcd  to  the  factions  wliioh  divide  my  coiuilry  and  the  hatred 
nt  the  principal  powers  of  Europe,  I  have      riniiiated  iiiv  political 


career,  niul  T  f>nr 


lil-.,  Tl, 


454 


I\   TIIK   KOOTSTKPS  OF   NAPOLKON 


of  tlio  Rrilish  nntion.  T  i)l;ic('  mysolf  under  tlip  )irotection  of 
Ijius,  uhich  I  claim  ii'din  \in\r  K'nyiil  Highness  as  the  iiidst  jiiiu 
fill,  the  iiii)>t  coii.-taut  ami  the  uiosl  yciierous  of  luy  enciiiies. 

Napolkov. 

TTavinfr  despatched  that  iiipssntre  by  a  special  vessel,  whi 
Maitlaiid  providnl.  he  lintrereil  only  one  more  day  heneji 
tile  trieoloured  thiu.  It  is  tittiiiL'  that  his  last  day  in  Fran 
should  have  liei'ii  the  1  Itli  of  duly,  the  fete  day  ot"  the  natio 
For  the  fall  of  the  Bastille  six  and  twenty  years  before  opem 
an  era  wliieli  had  closed  with  the  fall  of  his  Empire. 

On  the  day  after  the  national  holiday,  one  last  cry  of  "Vi 
rEmperi'Ur"  ranu:  out  sa<lly  from  the  cri'W  of  the  P>en( 
shij)  as  Xajioleon  grasped  the  laddei'  (/  .he  BrUcroithoti  an 
with  brow  unclouded,  passed  under  the  P.ritish  flaj:.  \ 
lhouL;h  he  was  not  rnMived  with  a  salute  liy  the  ^uns,  Captai 
.Maitland  ".n-ected  him  as  Kmperor  and  Lrave  him  his  cabin. 

The  captive  was  not  lont:  in  conipierin<r  the  sympathies  { 
his  captor.  .Maitland  appears  to  have  foiuid  him  a  dcliirh 
ful  and  t'ascinatinu:  <:uest.  and  he  heard  not  a  coinplainiii 
word  from  him.  He  walked  the  deck  a  jzood  deal.  Often  1 
stood  alone  and  silent,  his  followers  respectfully  stamlin 
apart  and  at  a  distaine  while  he  sazed  upon  the  unconriiierr 
and  coniiui'riud-  sea.  He  seeim^d.  however,  to  have  difficult 
in  keepintr  awake,  and  the  only  book  the  captain  saw  liii 
readin<r  was  a  hio^'raphy  of  the  son  of  another  rcvoiution- 
WasliitiL'ton. 

After  voyairinfr  northward  a  week,  the  Bdlcrophon  siphtp 
the  lonely,  heather-clad  tors  of  Dartmoor.  Soon  th(>  hen\it 
ful.  outstretched  arms  of  Toi'bay  received  the  monarch  wh 
was  sailin^'  away  frnm  a  throne,  even  as  a  century  and  a  quai 
ter  before  th(y  had  welcomeil  William  of  Orantre  to  a  thront 
The  bay  is  so  Italian  in  its  soft  loveliness  that  it  seems  alie 
to  the  stern  Devon  coast,  and  it  took  Napoleon  bv  surprist 
As  his  eye  roved  entranced  from  Prixhani  to  Tor(|uay.  h 
reniarkrd.  "'It  is  liki-  a  .Mrditrrrani^an  harliour — as  licautifii 
as  the  harbour  of  Portofi'rrajo."  He  was  to  see  little  ennutr 
thenceforth  in  his  secoiui  exile  to  remind  iiim  of  the  hoautie 


TIIK  CAPTIVE   KAC.IA-: 


AliiT  lyiiitr  at  Jiiidior  for  two  days  tlic  li^  !h  n/plion  pro- 
irnlcd  to  llymouth.  As  Xapolron  foimd  himself  sailing,' 
«.>t\vaf(l  and  farther  away  li'oiii  I.ondon  ii,.  cuidd  not  miss 
tlif  proliaMc  moaiiiiiLT  of  this  iiiovcmciit. 

At  the  I'lymoutli  aiiclioraj.'c,  tlic  lidl,  roiihon  was  sur- 
roiiiidrd  and  u'uarded  by  armed  i.jckft  i-raft  and  the  harl)our 
'vus  almost  covered  witli  the  boats  of  the  fmrious.  People 
rii,i.'erly  swarmed  from  distant  parts  of  tli.'  kini^dom  to  the  old 
town  iiy  the  Plym.  Sonirtimes  tlieiv  wer^  as  many  as  Kumi 
bdiits  with  cSOOO  oeeupants  ei'owded  .djoiit  tlie  li/Uu-uphon. 
m'un'Aing,  elamourintr,  and  rveii  riskin-  tie-ir  lives  to  eatrh 
a  u'liiiipse  of  the  foremost  man  of  tlie  woi'ld  walking  the  deck 
iu  raiitivity. 

Tlirre  was  an  ominous  absenee  of  oflicial  callers  and  official 
iiifdiiiiation  aboard.  A  dread  of  imprisonment  in  the  Tower 
1)1  l.niidou  arose  among  the  Freneii.  Out  of  the  dark  cloud 
Hi  uiyste>-y  there  came  whispered  hints  of  St.  Helena. 

Til.'  uovernment  harshly  interpreted  the  ilarkest  j)assions  of 
the  hour.  It  is  doubtful  if  any  cabinet,  however  magnanimous 
it.s  sentiments  mii:ht  have  been,  would  Juive  dared  to  dally 
with  so  liiuh  an  explosive  as  Napoleon  .still  was  siipposed  to 
■  "■.  .\s  his  custodian.  Kngland  not  only  owed  a  d'lty  to  her- 
self hut  also  liad  to  consider  her  Allies,  one  of  whom,  at 
Iwist.  wouhl  have  joyed  in  shooting  him  down  like  a  mad 
(](.-. 

Xm  one  could  have  known  then,  as  all  should  be  able  to  see 
now.  tliat  he  was  an  extinct  volcano.  His  power  to  shake  the 
faitii  had  come  from  the  people  and  he  had  lost  it.  His  race 
was  iMui.  his  course  of  con(piest  was  liuished  and  he  had  but  a 
Vw  vi'ars  to  live. 

All  that  is  hindsight.  And  it  w.uild  have  been  unreason- 
al'lf  to  expect  any  foresight  in  tb.e  Toi\  lords,  wTio  con- 
trolled the  British  ministry  of  th(>  day.  The  monarchs  of 
Kurep.'  had  from  time  to  time  made  terms  with  Napoleon. 
fjiit  tlie  aristocracies  never  had  relented  in  their  rage  against 
til-  scourge  of  feudalism  and  class  privilege.  AVheii  they 
uiihdiv.Ml  tile  piant  and  bouii<l  him,  tlienM'ore,  thev  ima-dned 


V.'  •  \.  i.  I  i 


iovvii  aiiu  caiigiii  iiie  r  rcuoii  lievuiuiiun  litieii'. 


450 


IN  TlIK   KnuTSTKPS  OF  XAI'OJJCoN 


AI'ttT  four  (Inys  of  suspense  jilinjii'd  llie  Hi  llrroplioii  ] 
I'lyiiioutli  liiirliour,  ;i  suspnise  wiiieli  the  ecutrnl  I'lLMU'e  boi 
without  any  outwiird  sIl^m  of  llie  strain,  Aiiniii-al  Lord  l\rit 
a|i|ieare(i.  HnteriiiLr  Xapoleon's  ealiin.  Keitli  read  to  hi] 
the  (iider  tliat   "(jeneral    l>oiia|iarte"  siiould   lie  convevrd  | 

St.     lleh'Ua. 

'I'hi'  distinuuished  condemned  made  liis  jirotest  (luietly  an 
in  a  lew  sentences.  Apparently  lie  did  notlnnu-  to  render  tl: 
task  of  his  visitoi'  more  ditliciilt,  for  after  the  interview  Ki^it 
exclaimed:  "Damn  the  fellow  I  If  he  had  ol)tained  an  ii 
tei'view  with  His  Royal  IliLihness  (the  I'riiiee  Rcir.'nf  ,  i 
half  an  hour  they  would  have  been  the  best  friends  in  Kiii. 
land." 

The  ordei's  of  the  irovernment  allowed  the  cajjtive  to  clioos 
three  oflicei's  to  he  his  companions  and  a  pliysicia)i  to  atti'ii^ 
him  in  his  cai)tivity.  While  tlio  little  company  that  had  rom 
with  him  on  the  HrJh  ruphon  awaited  his  selection,  tluT 
never  was  a  more  an.xious  livalry  for  his  favour  when  he  .sa 
on  the  throne  of  France  than  there  was  now  for  the  privileg 
of  shar'iiu  his  exile. 

^Vhen  the  time  came  for  him  to  pass  to  the  Xorthiimbir 
huid,  which  was  detailed  to  carry  him  to  St.  Helena,  thos- 
whom  he  had  been  obiiiied  to  omit  from  tlie  list  parted  froti 
him  with  demonstrations  of  prief.  r>avary  burst  into  tear 
and  threw  liimself  at  the  feet  of  his  master.  lie  and  (lencra 
Lallemand,  for  supposed  otT'ences  of  their  own,  had  been  ex 
eluded  from  the  St.  Helena  |iarty  by  the  London  cabinet  aiu 
condemned  to  imprisonment  in  the  island  of  Malta. 

"You  see,  my  lord,"  said  Las  Cases  to  Admiral  Keith 
"that  the  only  persons  in  tears  are  they  who  remain  beiiiiid." 
Las  Cases  had  yraiiicd  a  coveted  jilace  by  accepting  the  posi 
of  secretary,  and  was  added  to  the  <zroup  of  three  otlHeers 
who  were  Bertrand,  Montholon  and  Gourujaud. 

Before  sailinir,  the  members  of  the  party,  like  any  othei 
prisoners  al)out  to  be  l)ookcd,  were  reciuired  to  surrender 
their  arms  and  valuabh'^.  Xo  one  insisted  on  takini:  Xapo- 
leon's sword,  however,  and  while  the  i)ai:fja^e  of  all  was  ran- 


%.^ik.\  i\' 


«4.3     i.i\j     r^y  »i  1  \ 


)N 


TIIH  CAI'TIVK  KA(;LE 


457 


'rroplitiii  in 
fiL'iirr  hMi-f 
Tjord  Kiiih 

■III     tn     liilii 

•oiiVfyi'il  to 
qiiiftly  ;iii(l 

)  I'CIldfl'  thr 
I'vifW    Kritll 

int'd  nil  iii- 
Ri't-'fiit  ,  in 
ids  ill  KiiL'- 

/('  to  cllOO'^i' 

n  to  attrii'! 
it  li;id  cdnif 
•tioii,  tliciv 
viifii  lit'  Silt 
:U'  privilege 

'orthitniliir- 
'l(>iia.  those 
larted  from 
into  tears 
11(1  (iciieriil 
id  lici'ii  ex- 
•abiiiet  aiiil 
a. 

iral  Keitli, 
11  heliiiul."' 
il;  tlie  [lOst 
ree.  otirteers, 

any  other 
surrender 

kiuL'  Niil'"- 
11  was  rau- 


.na'ihd    tlius   to  conceal   on   tlicnisclvcs   some   L'old   coin   and 

JfUi'ls. 

For  I'lid  ten  weeks  the  \ arlhn mix  rhnn]  mid  her  fle(>t  of 
lesser  vessris  sailed  southward.  As  tliev  were  [ia>sinu'  down 
tile  coast  of  Franco,  the  French  cMLrerly  watched  for  a  uliinpso 
lif  their  native  hiiid.  Se\-eral  times  a  vauue  shadow  appeared 
,i!iii'e  their  jra/e,  hut  only  to  \anish  before  it  tuok  form.  At 
;,i-t  the  clouds  parted  and  their  eyes  were  e|addei;ed  hy  tin; 
vi-liT  (if  the  sun  shinine'  on  the  shore  of  Urilfany.  As  Fraiic(3 
;(i.  i|  ,ni(l  finally  disappeared  forever  from  his  horizon,  Xapo- 
!tiiii  stiKid  with  bared  head. 

Although  his  ot'lieials  and  servants  liore  themselves  toward 
liiiii  as  if  he  were  still  in  the  Tuileries  and  weariiiL'  th(>  crown 
:  l!iiiiui(',  Admiral  Cockburn  and  his  subordinates  of  tli« 
Si'iilnonht  rlaii(l  studiously  observed  the  instructions  of  their 
government  and  took  izreat  pains  to  ignore  the  fact  that  he 
i:;i(i  ever  bccn  more  than  a  Licneral. 

The  fitriiier  Emperor,  who  had  sat  at  table  with  nearly 
rvii'y  reiirninj?  monarch,  did  not  disdain  to  dine  each  day 
with  the  admiral  and  the  ship's  officers,  where  he  alternately 
int.  iTO'jated  them  on  all  manner  of  subjects  and  recounted 
liis  own  experiences  by  flood  and  field.  Tie  walked  the  deck 
a  jeod  deal,  often  with  the  admiral,  whose  arm  steadied  him 
wh'ii  the  sea  rolled,  lie  was  also  in  the  habit  of  sittiiie'  on 
iiiie  of  the  guns,  which  the  .sailors  christened  '"the  Emperor's 
Laiiiion."' 

Most  of  the  day  was  passed  by  him  in  his  cabin,  where  he 
al  (iiiee  be^'au  to  dictate  his  recollections  to  Las  Cases. 
"Lahoiir  is  the  sc-ythe  of  time,"'  he  said  to  Ids  ,iinaiineiisis,  as 
tlay  thus  relieved  the  tedium  of  the  loiii,'  trip.  Ilis  eveninijs 
wi-ri'  uiveii  over  to  cards  with  the  admiral  ^v  his  fellow  trav- 
ellers in  the  general  cabin. 

Tile  ship  paused  at  Madeira,  but  no  one  went  ashore. 
Tliciicel'orth  land  was  not  si<ihtcd  auain  until  one  day  a  (iark 
speek  appeared  in  the  sky.  The  larycr  it  ertnv  the  blacker  it 
beeaiiie.  It  was  St.  Helena.  At  last  the  islander  from  the 
Mciliterranean  was  at  his  journey's  end  in  the  wide  solitude 

of  tl,..   v;.,,,fl,     \  f  l.,,,tw. 


li 


CIIAITKR  LT 


ST    IIKLKNA 


i8ir,-i^-.M     ai;k   ir,-.-,i 

AS  flip  Xnrthinnhirhnnl  .livw  near  tli.'  vm\  of  Ii.t  lo 
trip,    X;i|,olr„li   \v;it.-hr,|    thr   hillows  of   111.-  SOUtll.Ttl  S 
I'lvjikiii-    up,,,!    111,.    |,,„rly    shoivs    (if    tli.-    hist    of  t 
Hmm  of  ishiiKls  tluit  so  fiitrfiilly  i,i;,rk  tlir  vovimv  of  his  1, 
'•'"■n  on  ,111   ishiiid   in   ih..   Mcditcrninran   a'n.l  crownt".]  , 
.;iii  ishiiMJ  HI  thr  Srin..,  he  took  Ills  lirst  witV  from  an  ishu 
m  the  West   Indies  and  won  his  srcon,!   in  a  battle  w'lidi  1 
•■•i'nich..d  from  an  ishmd  in  the  Daniih...     For  the  possrssic 
'I'    tl'<'  isl.ind   of  Malta,   he  ,,iianvlh.d   with   the  island  kin 
doin  ot    (;ivat   Britain   and   lost  a  <-ontinent.     Exiled  tirst  : 
the  Island  of  Elba,  he  returned  to  ehalleii^'e  ai:ain  his  insuk 
loe  and.    losinir  the   battle  onee  more,   he   now  saw  from  tl 
quarter  deek  of  tlu'  Sortlnnnb,  riand,  the  barren  and  hlael 
vnvi\  sid.'s  of  the  island  of  St.  Helena  waiting'  to  shut  him  i 
loi-ever  as  within  the  i:riiii  walls  of  a  prison. 

If  li»>  bud  found  it  eonsolinp  in  his  Ellian  e.xile  the  yea 
!)Hore,  to  overlook  Europe  from  the  windows  of  li'is  retreai 
St.  Helena  ofVered  him  no  such  eonsolation.  It  is  like  a  raf 
iiiichored  in  iiii(l-oe..aii.  Its  nearest  neiohlmur,  the  island  o 
Aseension,  is  .lOO  miles  and  more  away,  while  it  is  1200  mile 
west  of  Africa  at  th..  mouth  of  the  ("onuo,  1700  mih-s  eas 
ot  South  Aiiierira  and  the  eoast  of  Brazil,  nearlv  4000  mil." 
trom  Euiope  at  the  Strait  of  (.'ibraltar.  and  almost  oOOC  mile: 
ti'om   Paris, 

Remote  and  alien  as  it  seemed  to  him  from  the  moment  il 
first  swam  into  his  vision  until  at  the  end  of  tive  and  a  hall 
years,   his  eyes  were  closed   ution    it   in   d.'-ath.  there  w;!';  \'A 

4.")S 


ST.  TIFLEN'A 


4.')!) 


monii'iit  it 
and  a  lialf 


;i    rrrt 


aiii  kinship  hrtui'cti  1 


Kmii  ;is  thf  irnsi.stild 


Jill 


1  ;iii(l  tlir  rock  of  !i 


llM, 


film  above  tl 


•  •  lorci-  ot  ii  vidli-iif 


is  capfivitv 


.ival  of  nature,  the  tin 


'■  h'Vel  of  luaiikiiui,  si 


■siicial  eoiiviilsioii  lijid 


>  in  some  awful 


searreil  stone  that   forms  tl 


1111- 


^f.   Ilrieiia  had  liirii  torn   from  the  orejin  1 


iii'iiintainoiis  ii 


A 


'iinre  solitary  and 
■II    for  the   eaptivi 


lass.  whose  jau'irod  peaks  pierce  tl 


le  ishiiid 
)•■!!  and   heaped 


iiielancholv  evrie 


eai 


W 


he  eloiids. 
'•ouid  not  have  he.r 


I'iii'''   'iiili's,   the   island   is  oiilv  t 


ith    an   area   of   fort 


1 
\'-seven 


'  sf  and  sevei 
'iiaivh,  who  ha 


I  III 


en   miles   in    leii<rth   at   tli 
il<'s  wide  at  the  widest.     When  the  fail 


a  ruled 


ii'iii  was  less  than  ;{0()(). 


K.iM    Indi, 
Napoleoi 


ins,  only  one  f 


(i().(l(l(l,()(l() 
Afr 


en 


most  I  v 


people  came,  its  pojtula- 


lean  slaves. 


Chi 


•e  in  four  beinu'  whit 


nese,  and 


1  went  ashore  on  the  twentieth 


■""■.\    into  a  post  of 
"''"i"T.   17f)5.  that  h 
"iiiy  of  the  interior  i 


anniver.sarv  of  h 


IS 


on 


eommand.     For  it   was  on  the   IGth  of 

e  was  api)ointed  ^eneral-in-ehief  of  the 

eontrol  of  the  city  of  Pari.s.     And  it 

[inies- 


10th  of  October,  1815,  that  he  landed  at  J 


'"^^"-  the  diamonds  in  the  star  of  the  Le<non  of  II 
''•niiu'  throii-h  the  dusk  from  the  breast  of  I 


witli  Admiral  Coekb 


onour  <dit- 


iis  ^'rey  overeoat 


urn  on  one  side  of  him  and  Bertrand 


i.'i;md  marshal  of  the  palace,  on  the  other,  he 


lo,l 


tlh 


ii:s  in  the  villa^'c 
iitid  on  the  back  of  a  littl 


walked  to  his 


iidmiral,  he  rod 


le  a 


e  capo  pony  and  escorted  In- 


way  in  the  morniui,'  liv 


1   ,.     •     ,,  ,    .       •      -  —  '",-  ".>  a  wmdii'fj  roac 

P'  ■!  HI  the  ru-ed  side  of  the  mountain,  up  out  of  the  ravim 

'  ^v  ich  Jamestown  sits.     When  he  had  mounted  to  the  sum- 

""•  "e  village  port  was  lost  to  view  and  he  looked  upon  the 

l-iindless  spaces  of  the  Atlantic.     Before  him  lay  the  heath 

-y  1  atcvu.  with   Its  few   squalid   slave  huts  and'i  s    g  ar^^^l 

■  '"1  .^  unted  ^u.n  trees  and  the  wihl  ,rey  steeps  of  the    oh 

"'.It  he  was  condemned  to  life  imprisonm..nt 

■  Iter  yisitin-  and  silently  inspecting:   Lon-wood,  a  croup 

tarrn  buddings  which  the  British  government  h;d  chosen 

0     IS  residence,  he  turned  back  to  wait  until  it  couhl  be 

;^^i''";-'Ijind  furinshed  lor  his  occupancy.     On   his  ontw--d 


1 


"-  ,„■  nm  seen  trom  the  road  a  little  bungalow 


in  a  vale. 


•KiO 


IN   Till':   FUOTSTKI'S  oK  NAI"  tLKOX 


snrroiiiKlcd  with  sli.-idy  trrrs  ;iihI  hloniniii'.'  tlowrrs,  wlin-r  t) 
HjiIcoiiiIm's,   all    iMiiiJisli    Iradrsiiiaii's    t'lmiiiy.    IlkI    pniviii-'il 
pretty    rcfu'ji'    from    tlir    torriil    inat    of   .laiii'^tuwii.        t    ha 

sciiiiid  to  him  an  oasis  in  a  stony  dcs  Tt,  ami.  with  tl oi 

srtit    of   tlic    admiral,    lie    stopped    to    iiH|uirf    if    he   could    I 
slielti'iTil   thrlT. 

The  homeless  Knipei'or.  who  had  idveii  laws  to  Kurnpe  frnr 
the  palaees  of  Paris.  Madrid.  I'.erlii'.  Milan.  \'ieiiiia  and  \hi- 
cow,  asked  only  foi'  the  privileize  of  living  in  a  summer  hoiis 
or  LTiirdeii  jia-ilion  out  on  the  lawn  at  the  Miliars,  as  the  I?ii| 
eomhes  called  their  jdac.-,  and  he  was  |ieriiiitted  to  si'tti 
there  at  once.  .\nd  altlioiiuh  .lamestowii  was  only  a  littl 
moi'c  than  a  mile  away,  it  never  a'jain  saw  him  after  he  rod 
o'lt  of  it  that  morniipj  following'  his  arrival  in  the  island. 

Deeemher  and  the  tropic  summer  had  come  when  I.onu 
wood  was  at  last  in  readiness  for  him,  ami  he  entei'ed  upon  hi 
life  tenancy  of  the  place.  This  croup  of  one-story  huildiivjs 
mostly  of  stone,  which  his  luist,  the  Ki'itish  nation,  lu'd  \>vu 
vided  for  the  comfort  of  its  most  ceh  hrated  uucst,  wa.s  oiil.i 
a  \)\<s  cow  shed  in  the  lieu'innint:  and  the  niannre  still  h} 
heaped  henealh  its  wooden  flooi's.  Fi'om  a  trellised  imrcli 
one  entered  a  I'ather  larirc  front  room  and  passed  throiiu'l 
into  what  was  called  the  salon,  hack  of  whi'h  wns  the  diiiiiif: 
room,  liadly  liulite(|  only  hy  a  "lass  door,  Opcniiii:  out  ol 
the  (liiiiiiLr-room  on  one  side  was  tlie  lihr.'iry.  and  on  tin 
other  was  the  study,  olV  which  was  Napoleon's  Ijcdroom,  witl 
a  hathroom  behind  it. 

The  little  bedroom  became  the  exile's  sanctuary.  There  hi 
set  U|)  his  camp  bed  and  there  he  placed  his  poi-traits  am] 
scul[)tures  of  the  K'milt  of  Rome  and  .Marie  Louise.  The  most 
intimate  and  pathetic  touch  was  lent  by  the  presence  on  tlir 
mantel  of  a  tiny  slijipcr  that  belon^'cd  to  the  little  Kinu'.  As 
a  reminder  of  th<'  days  of  coni|Uest.  there  hunc'  by  the  chim- 
ney a  silver  watch  (jf  Freilerick  the  (livat,  taken  from  Pots- 
dam. 

N'o  strain  had  been  imposed  on  the  British  treasury  for  the 
decorations  and  furnishiiiLrs.  The  walls,  stained  by  their 
Miiiiiei  ijaso  u.ses,  wore  covered  wiili  iiiowii  iuiuKeeu.     ^lUSiiii 


ST.  HKLKXA 


461 


.^'.<;l.^  liiui-  ill  the  uiii,l„u>,  a.i.l  tin-  chairs,  tiil.I-s  iin.l  sofas 
illVSlU.l  to  liJ.Vr  I,,...,,  surh  „.s  .uul.l  Ik"  i.i.-kr.l  Up  <m  Ih,.  i.laiid 
at  sccoihI-Ii.-.ikI. 

Til"     l.llHl-M|.r    W.,s     I. ,.;,,•!>■    as    ImIV    „S    th,.     hous.'.        Ill     „„(■ 

'"■'■'•""",';'>,''"■  ''■'■'•   '""   ""•   l"'"^' '   ^^■"^   "'^"1-  soM.ruliat 

.|1SIU.V,,,I,|,.    |,v    ||„.    |m,J,    ,,,„|,    ,,i,„|,    „.|,j,.,,    ,,|,,^,.    .^^    ,,^,^^__^    ||_^_ 

>oiillM.ast  alni.,st  ru„t inually.  1„  ,.,||  utlirr  .liivcti..ns.  thr  va.it 
^'■'•.liirv  aii.l  suMll  twist, ,1  tn,  >  „r  tlir  vallrvs  wrarir.l  ,„•  the 
liiiu.'.  I.;mv  mountains  .v,„.ll,.,|  tlir  ,.y...  A.i.l  tli..  oiilv  ,„.i.^l,- 
o„rs  in  s„ht  w,T,.  tiM.  ,v,l  mats  of  thr  5:!,!  rrtrimm't  of  t'li. 
l.ntish  army  m  il„  ir  .■ncainpmmt  a  tVw  hun.liv,!  vanls  awav 
just  iM'yond  a  ra\im'.  "  "  ' 

^■"'•;'"'"''l  <!"■  '-'il'tivr  Iin.l  s(,lar..  in  th..  Iwisom  of  his  hous,.- 
liMld,  tor  that  ua.s  ivally  nioiv  un,.om^..nial  than  Lon-wood 
■'"•'  ^'-  "'•'*'"<i'  II'  tin.  T.)iy  min,st..rs,  uh.'u  th.'v  w.mv 
.Iioosuil;  his  prison  ish.  ami  his  prison  I,.. us...  ha. I  ,.|,o's,.n  Ins 

' ■■""""«'   ^I'-'y   '•""I'l    Iwinlly   hav..   foun.l   a   ..n.up   of   p,.r. 

-ns  h,.tt..r  .•i;h.uiat...l  to  toi.m..nt  him  than  th..  s..'..,-tioi.  made 
■'}  t.it...  II..  nims..|f  ha, I  scaivly  mon-  v.dition  in  th..  matt..r 
"i;i>i  li..  had  m  the  d..si-iiation  of  his  pLi.-..  of  ..xij...  II,.  had 
t"t;il<.-  .su.-h  as  otlVr.'.l  to  a.-.^ompany  him,  for  rwn  lu-  could 
:"_i_'ommand  iii..n  to  follow  him  into  a  t..mh. 

Thr.'e  \v..ro  iii..n  witli  famili..s,  and  two  had  dra.'-ed  thi-ir 
™-.villui.;  wivfs  an.l  th.'ir  .-hil.ln.ii  with  th..ni  into  th..ir  vol- 
untary captivity.  .Mnie.  H..rtrand  went  with  her  thnv  chil- 
iivii  only  attcr  vainly  .strivin-  to  swerve  her  husl)an<l  from 
■■i>  imrp.,se  and  after  failin-  to  drown  li..rs,.lf  j)v  iumpin" 
''"•ilH.ard  into  Plymouth  harhour.  Tlu'  Count.'ss  .'l..  Mon" 
•  "Inn.  who  wa.s  aecompanit.d  by  one  ehil.i,  ha.l  .still  less  rea- 
-;'^|  lor  shariii!--  her  hiisl.a/id"s'  devotion  to  the  unforiunate 
l;"iiHror.  he  liavin-  forbid. l,.n  from  the  throne  her  mar- 
m-e  to  Monthol.)n  bei-aus,.  she  ehan.-.d  to  have  two  husbands 
■''■in<:.  Count  de  Las  Cases  took  his  .son  with  him.  but  he 
iHt  l),.hin.I  him  a  wife  who  seems,  in  the  Count 's  lan-uacre 
to  have  been  unable  to  "conceive  either  the  m.>rit  or  the  charm' 
"t  ii'icic  resolutions  and  saeriHces."  The  fourth  m..nib..r  of 
'!i''  suite.   Dr.    Harrv   0'M,.;.i.-..     „-..o   +i,,,    .,* .„..    _x-      ,,    ., 


uliow 


ers,   for   that    Irish   sur; 


-  -.  I.       vy  »       nil       I  iiC 


tn  in   the  British  naw  nev 


er 


l.\   Tin;   l-0(.TSTi:i'S  OK  \Al'()ij.;,,v 

liad    S.',',!    .\;||„,|,.,,1,    iiMlil    II,,.    |,,js, 


y"/iliitn . 


I'll^nlirr'    r;||||,.    jihoard     tlir    /,' 


"  "''""■.^'■""'•"""■'-l"u.u,,sl,vnom...ns..oM.l,.,r 


'■'';",";■";   '"■'•■""';;l''""toMnrunn.||,n„s,.|tunh  ,■„,  i,,. 


'-"^'t-' •'-'i-ivu,..,,,.,rro;r:;';:";;.;:;::,:;'- '^'•^ 


"^••f  N.'iI-N'.H,  tninni  IniMvir  tVi^hr  Miii .    |.,n,.|v  m.  tl„.  „, 
"--■■-'  -ou,l  of  ,v,,.Hn,.,.s.      I,.,,,,,,, „•,,„„„„.,, 

?■'•'"  ^'-."'i-'ti. h,.n  1.  w„s  .,n  „.,.  ,;,:,:"\! 

..n|,..n.,.    ,s   ul,;,,    h,.   is.    ,ny   .I,...,-   .  ;,M,r.;n„l. ' '   .;,.n,.;al    ll 
-•n;K. ........ ,..,,.^ 

'lis    iiniHTioiH    n.itiMv    l„-„u.l„    hi,,,    ,.,Mn.,i..,.s    lu.f    ,l,.ni 
■'  th,.  nuMstot   th..o,-,.,„,., •,>.,!   n.  th.  .on-  sh,.,i  nf  I.,,,,..,,-, 

'.'"''■'•."""'"■'■'•""■'  -f^'  --■^m,|  n.aN,al  nf.h,.  pal,,-,  1 
Inssm,,.  uv,v,v,|UMv,|  to  array  ,h,.n...|v,.s  as  ,f  for  a,t.; 
iiiK-e  U|M,ri   limi   at    thr   Tiiilni,. 


liist    illness    liaij    t( 


-Vri,    lii^   |ih\sii-iaii   ill  h 
'   !""    '»"   '•"iirt    (livss   hrtor.'   I'litrriiii:  tl 


'U    ..n.lallh,s,.nurl,,.rsw,.r,.  ,.,„uman.l..,|  ,,.  .vmain  stau. 
n.^   ,u    ins    p,vs..n,.      1„„„.   „,,,.    j,,,,,,     ,,,„,^^„„j    j,^,^.;,,,,  , 

Iran  aj:,nns,  tl„.  .ionr  to  k,.,,,  ln„„  t•allin,^  an<!  lVr,r.;n,l  an 

.Moiitho!...,   nearly    taintinir  un.lrr  thr  strain 

The  n,.pris„ne,i   |.;„,p,,,.r  was  no  le^s  exae,in^  in  the  task 

h;  set  Ins  , ..lowers  than  when  he  eouhl  reuar.l  his  serv.to, 
"■tUrreaftnlesan.lr.eh  estates.      His  pe„,-„p  .,„„,,;,,  i„„. 

••'■th    ,n    a    torrent    of    letters   and    n.en.oirs.      F,.r    lo„rtee. 

lours.  .M,,,„holon  wrote  and  wrote  at  his  dietation  unti 
-'tt>;rl.v  exhansted.  and  Las  Cases  read  a,ul  wrote  for  Inu 
until  his  overtaxed  eyes  failed. 

He  took  lon^'  Kn.,lisl,  lessons  from  tlio  Count,  hut  while  h, 

'■"'■'"■''  ''"^^-  ">  '■'■'"'  ''"■  "xtreniely  nnpleasant  thin.^s  th, 
l.ondoii    ii;iiw.c^.  II-.,. :..         T        .    ,  •         .         ... 

■ '"* '■    "■^' •••-  •::;-;;:  iiihi,  iie  nui  not  auiiuire  liii 


KON 


I' I  thr  /; 


ii'^  •■otiiicmii.-,i 

•     lirilNll     ..rov. 
Il    •■III    ilup.Ti;,! 

-  fully  (if-aii- 


M  th. 


mil 


iii"iiii'(|   ifdh 


iii|. 


ii'iiiic.  "T!' 
I'l'iirral  I;,  J., 
ii'  has  lio 
'I.  that  lie  is 


;it 


(l''ni> 


luit 


n   Mil   ,1   !■,„  I, 

'1      l.01IU\\lil,.| 

I■|■|'|•|||ll||l,•l|^ 


Ail 


:iiil;h-i'. 
i'oi  atf 


Irian   III  lii> 

lltcl'ill^     Illi^ 


iTimI 


lii'ldlT 


main  stain!- 
i  haviiiLT  Id 
i't'tr<;n(l  and 


ill  th.'  task> 
lis  servitors 
iTL'ics  hurst 
iv  I'lMirtwii 
iition    until 


te  lor 


liiiii 


lit  whili'  111' 
thiii-.'s  thr 
aciiuire  liie 


ST.  riKLEXA 


463 


iliffiiiilt   stratcL'v  of  En'_'lisli  L'ramiiinr,  as  one  may  seo  from 
the  only  Knglisli  coinposition  by  him  which  has  survived: 

"Cnnnt  Lasoasos — Sinoo  sixt  week  y  learn  the  English  and 
y  (111  not  any  |)roiz:ress.  Sixt  Week  do  fourty  and  two  days. 
It  iniu'lit  liave  learn  tivty  words,  for  day,  i  could  know  it  two 
lousands  and  two  hundred.  It  is  the  dictionary  more  of 
fourt.\  thousand;  even  he  could  ii.ost  twenty;  bot  much  of 
tt'ni>.  For  know  it  or  hundred  and  twenty  week,  which  do 
moiv  two  years.  After  this  you  shall  aixree  that  the  study 
one  lonu'ue  is  a  groat  labour  who  it  must  do  into  the  young 
ased. 

"LoiiL'wood,  this  morninfr,  the  seven  march  thursday  one 
thousand  eight  hundred  sixteen  after  nativity  the  yors  Jesus 
Christ. 

•■Count  Laseases,  riiamellan  of  the  S.  ^l.  Longwood;  into 
his  jialac  :  very  j)ress. '" 

Even  as  in  his  barrack  days,  so  at  St.  Helena,  Napoleon 
!iiciiii'  friends  only  with  books,  which  always  lay  thickly 
strewn  al)out  him.  Sometimes  he  sat  up  all  night  with  them. 
.\r  iithcr  times  he  lay  on  liis  couch  and  read  for  hours  with- 
in! iiiirrruption. 

Ill  the  beginning  he  prided  bimself  on  the  fortitude  with 
whirli  lir  hore  his  exile.  He  seemed  indeed  disposed  to  make 
tiif  111  ^t  of  his  lot.  He  commended  the  very  simple  prepara- 
tions Admiral  Cockburn  had  made  for  his  comfort  at  Long- 
wood  and  as  he  had  captivated  Admiral  I'ssher,  who  took  him 
t'l  Klha.  and  Captain  Maitland,  who  took  him  to  England,  he 
won  ovfi'  the  British  •  icials  at  St.  Ileleiia  in  bis  first  lialf 
year  thni'.  The  mi'n  dignitaries  of  (Jreat  Britain,  round- 
ing the  Cape  in  their  voyiiges  to  or  from  India  and  the  east, 
paid  court  to  him  at  Longwood  as  eagerly  as  if  he  were  still 
at  till'  Tuilt  ries  and  felt  highly  honoured  to  dine  at  his  table. 

\ii  ilouht  he  was  then  cherishing  some  pleasinir  illusions 
ahout  his  future,  hoiiing  that  a  new  ministry  in  London  might 
relent  and  ]icrmit  him  to  live  in  England,  or  even  that  the 
allied  Mivrreigus  mitrht  find  it  necessarv  to  vecall  him  in  order 


i 


>  i 


464 


1\  THE  FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLEON 


to  still  tlii>  risiim  waves  of  anotluT  trrcat  rcvohitioii.  But  it 
was  liis  inislortunr  to  liavt-  rciuaiiifd  a  live  and  cxcitiiitr  politi- 
cal issue  tlirou-liout  K\iropc.  Thus  li(>  coutinut'd  to  arouse 
tho  tVai-  and  luitc  of  liis  cncuiii's  when  otherwise  he  iniuht  have 
exeitecl  their  compassion  and  appeah'd  to  their  iiiauiiaiiiuiity. 

Altiiou!:rh  he  was  utterly  overthrown  and  marooned  in  the 
ocean,  the  crowiu-d  heads  could  not  lie  easy  on  their  pillows 
while  party  factions  at  home  championed  his  cause.  In 
En-iland.  Lord  Holland  and  some  of  the  foremost  men  in  tlin 
opi)Osition  party  were  his  stout  defenders.  Hut  the  more  his 
case  was  ai:itated  the  more  riizoi-ous  his  treatment  became. 

While  St.  Helena  was  not  a  paradise  without  a  serpent  be- 
fore thi'  advent  of  its  new  tzovernor.  it  (piickly  took  on  an 
unhaiiny  resemblance  to  a  i)eiuil  colony  after  the  ari'ival  of 
Sir  Hudson  Lowe,  in  April.  ISIG.  For  reasons  of  their  own, 
the  Tory  ministers  had  sin^ded  out  this  honest  but  narrow 
lierson  to  be  Napoleon's  custodian  and  ^'iven  him  a  sahuy  of 
>i;(i(),()0()  a  year.  Comiiii:  directly  from  those  who  chose  hmi, 
presumably  Sir  Hudson  brou^dit  speciHc  instructions  tn 
tiirhten  and  shorten  the  chains  of  the  imi.erial  prisoner. 

Naiioleon's  instincts  were  aroused  airainst  the  ^ov«^rnor 
the  moment  he  glanced  at  his  unprepossessincf  countenance 
and  looked  into  an  eye  that  seemed  to  him  "like  tho  eye  of 
a  hyena  eautrht  in  a  trap."'  As  their  interviews  crew 
stormier.  Napoleon  prow  more  and  more  averse  to  exposniL' 
himself  to  those  provocative  encounlers,  and  after  their  sixth 
meeting,  in  Auuust.  ho  announced  that  he  would  never  m 
the  future  receive  the  frovornor.  And  he  kept  bis  vow,  Al- 
thouLdi  the  two  men  I'ontinued  to  dwell  on  the  same  little 
speck  in  the  sea  for  nearly  five  years  more,  no  word  ever 
passed  between  them  aizain. 

Thenceforth  Low(>  enforced  without  ploves  tho  increasnisrly 
harsh  orders  from  London.  That  the  fallen  Emperor  nu-ht 
hold  his  eotirt  no  lon-ivr  and  freely  practise  his  magnetic  art 
upon  the  too  susceptible  liritish  voyauer:-,.  no  on.'  was  p.T- 
mitted  to  visit  Louirwood  withmit  the  governor's  pernnssion. 
That  the  prisoner  mii-'ht  not  seduce  with  his  wiles  the  mhahit- 
nnts  of  tho  island  and   by  their  aid   overthrow  th.>  Hritish 


ST.  IlKLKXA 


465 


i;i\'; 

;:llli^ 


.;il  licet  and  army  ^Mi'rison.  he  wns  forl»i(l(]i>ii  to  enter  any 
■  or  speak  to  any  one  (in  the  road  execpt  in  tlie  presence 
(if  ;i  HritiNh  uiiard.  At  tlie  .same  time  tlie  wiiite  residents 
uvre  '  arned  tiiat  if  one  anionic-  tliem  should  speak  oi-  write 
M  ;iiiy  person  in  tlie  Lon.irwood  colony  he  would  he  di'jiorteil. 
ill.!  iiny  i)lack  person  so  otVendinu'  was  threati'Ued  with  100 
iivii.  >  on  his  hack-.  All  lettei's  to  or  from  Lonuwood  nuist 
lii-s  tlirouizh   I  he  '.governor's  hands  and  he  read  hy  him. 

The  l^ritish  ministry  and  the  irovernor  were  constantly 
|nr>iie<l  i)y  the  fear  that  Napoleon  would  escape  his  double 
I'li.Min  walls,  foriued  by  the  sea  and  the  mountains.  It  is 
iruc  hi'  could  have  made  his  way  from  Lonirwood  only  by  a 
uMMway  twenty  feet  wide  across  a  deep  ravine,  where  half 
;i  <|.i/cn  sentries  could  stop  him,  and  he  couUl  have  left  the 
i^hiiiil  itself  oidy  by  erabarkincj  at  some  one  of  the  three  or 
:niir  natural  harbours  on  the  precipitous  coast,  where  jrun- 
iOiits  always  were  on  j,'uard. 

.Nevertheless  Lowe  lined  those  little  harbours  with  land 
I'atteries  and  drew  around  Lonfnvoo<l  a  wall  of  bayonets  and 
i.owit.'crs.  At  sunset  tht»  <,'uards  closed  in  upoi:  the  door- 
;:i!M.  and  throujrh  the  ni<?ht,  sentinels  stood  about  the  house 
IN' If.  On  the  heicrhts  overlookincr  the  country,  watchmen 
w-iv  [insted  with  a  code  of  si-jnals  that  enabled  the  ^'overnor 
to  know  of  every  move  Napoleon  made  from  the  moment  he 
^t'l'pcil  out  of  his  door. 

Vet  no  evidence  has  been  found  that  he  had  any  thought  of 

art  iniitiiii:  to  escape  or  ^rave  a  word  of  encouragement  to  the 

-  V.  iai  fantastic  jjlans  for  liberating  him,  which  were  mofitly 

i  ;it>  lid  ill  the  L'nited  States  and  which  kept  tlie  British  iu  a 

'iilinual  state  of  alarm.     In  the  first  place,  he  never,  even 

"iiilc  hr  linuered  in  France,  fancied  the  idea  of  goin^'  to  the 

'  'i'c'l  States.     America  was  too  far  from  Europe  in  those 

-  to  favour  his  sudden  reappearance  on  the  sc<'ne.  such  as 

!•  inade  from  Elba,  and  probably  it  seemed  too  soundly  demo- 

'^iii-   to  ajipeal  to  his  imperial  ambitions.     And  no  doubt  his 

'-!•  ^Iitiink  with  terror  from  th(>  prospect  of  sinkint.'  into  the 

"iK'.ition  of  a  free  but  undistin-.'uished  inhabitant  of  the  re- 

'mblie. 


4G6 


IN  THE  FOOrSTHPS  OF  XAPOLEOX 


It  is  certain  th;it  he  woiiiil  ratluT  bo  the  first  prisniur  in 
tlic  world  if  he  couhl  no  loii'jir  lif  tiie  first  .sovfreifxn.  As  li.' 
lost  ho|ie  of  fleni.Micy,  he  took  on  the  hope  of  beeorain<r  a  mar- 
tyr ill  till'  eyes  of  Europe  and  of  postfi'ity,  and  he  made  the 
most  of  the  liberal  opportunity  the  British  ministers  cave 
iiim  to  ai>]M>ar  in  tlie  li^ht  of  a  persecuted  man.  Thcnefforth 
it  was  a  duel  between  him  and  his  jailor.  "My  nuirtyrdom," 
he  really  rejoieed,  "will  do  more  than  all  else  to  restore  tli^ 
orown  to  my  son/'  And  it  is  within  the  pale  of  possihility 
that  the  uninspired  Tories  who  inspired  Sir  Hudson  Lowe 
were  the  en-ators  of  the  Second  Empire. 

As  a  protest  ai^ainst  the  restrictions  and  espionage  pro- 
scribed for  him,  Napoleon  shut  himself  up  in  Loufjwood 
For  four  years  he  did  not  moun^  a  iiorse.  As  his  health 
be^'an  to  fail,  he  stayetl  indoors  for  long  periods,  when  he 
coidd  not  be  seen  by  his  British  guards.  He  not  only  de- 
clined to  see  Lowe,  but  when  the  commissioners  of  France, 
Austria  and  Ru>sia  came  to  lake  up  their  residence  at  St. 
Helena,  for  the  puri)Ose  of  keeping  their  governmeuts  in- 
formed, he  also  refused  to  exhil)it  himself  to  them.  Count 
Balmain  of  Russia  thought  indeed  that  he  caught  a  long-dis- 
tance glimpse  of  him  one  lucky  day.  and  Baron  Stunner  of 
Austria  and  Count  .Monteheiui  of  France  were  sure  that  on 
another  fortiniate  occasion,  as  they  were  hiding  in  a  ditch, 
they  saw  through  their  telescopes  a  small  man  in  a  three- 
cornered  hat.  Tlie  i)Oor  commissioners  never  were  able  to 
get  a  close  view  ot  him  to  reward  them  for  their  y(  .irs  of  exile 
on  the  iedand. 

The  gr<'at  powers  beijig  thus  baffled  and  mocked.  Fozzo  di 
Borgo  found  an  opportunity  to  thru'^t  his  .stiletto  once  ninn 
into  his  old  Corsican  foe.  I'o/.zo  urged  the  outwitted  govern 
nieiits  to  insist  th,.t  Napoleon  should  be  compelled  to  shrm 
himself  to  his  keei)ers  twice  a  day,  and  Euro|ie  took  up  tht 
demand  and  thundered  it. 

Nevertlieless.  the  lone  prisoner  of  Lon-jrwood,  standin-jr  ai 
bav  in  his  hut.  deHed  the  nations.  He  was  ailing  and  keep 
inir  to  his  room  at  the  time,  and  he  sent  out  the  warniii'.;  t( 
I  .[.,:.  *i,,it  t"i«i>e  •    I'^m  viil>iiiit  lo  this  new  i'jrnomiiiy  he  wouK 


ST.  TIKLFAA 


467 


-II'ISOIUT    11! 

izn.  As  hi- 
iiii'4  a  mar- 

2    llUldt'  thr 

isters  travc 
'hcnoufoitli 
irtyniom," 
restore  iIk' 
possiMlity 
dsou  Lowc 

onagt'  pre- 
Lou^wood. 
bis  health 
5,  when  lif 
)t  only  dc- 
of  Fraiici', 
Mice  at  St. 
iiineuts  iii- 
•m.  Count 
a  long-dis- 
Stunner  of 
ire  that  on 
iu  a  ditch. 
in  a  t'.irt't'- 
>re  able  to 
jrs  of  exih' 

1,  Pozzo  di 
once  nioi'i' 
ted  govern- 
ed to  show 
ook  up  till- 

^tiitidinir  at 
r  and  keip- 
warniu'j  i" 
V  be  would 


;:•  .ii  the  threshold  of  his  (diainhcr.  N(ir  did  Iw  ever  yiidd  the 
:nii,t.  and  a  l!riti.>h  ;inii>  cjiptain  was  rhai'ued  with  thi>  duty 
Ml'  )"M-piun'  in  at  him  throuL'h  tin'  .vinddus.  Xothwithstand- 
,iiL'  \u-  pecprd  (lay  after  ilay.  soiiir  days  kccpini:  his  i  yes  tdued 
:•'  i!ir  pains  for  twelve  hours,  the  captain  couhl  not  be  posi- 
nvr  I  hat  the  naked  fimirc  he  saw  coining  from  the  tub  was 
.ViipiileoiTs  or  that  the  haml  he  saw  stropfjin^'  a  razor  another 
■:;iic  was  the  veritable  hand  that  once  rided  Kurope.  More- 
'\rv.  There  were  weeks  when  the  peeper  could  not  even  otl'er 

viMiiise  as  to  the  presence  of  the  prisoner,  and  ^buitholou 
Minted  i.owe  \ith  not  knowing  positively  for  two  months 
•i:.!!  .Xapoleou  still  was  at  l.oiigwood. 

When  his  health   improved,  the  recluse  emerged   from  bis 

:  litviiieiit  in  the  winter  or  tropical  summer  of  18i;)-2()  and, 

^wth  a  spasm  of  his  old  energy,  took  to  gardening.     Appear- 

:i'.-  :it  sunrise  every  morning'  and  riimiiiL;'  a  hii:'  Ixdl,  he  suni- 

."led  the  entire  household   to  the   new  task,   in   which  they 

'  !■   aided  by  a  gani;-  of  (,'liincse  lai)ourers.     I'lider  a  broad- 

nnniird  straw  hat  and   in  liis  dressini:'  uown,  he  commanded 

ii.'  uorkmen  with   Ids  vralking  stick,  and  sometiiru's  himself 

M'ik  in  hand  a  spade  or  a  watering  pot.     Fortifications  wre 

:'!-wii  up  to  defend  the  trarden   plot   from  the  lierce  winds 

lit  the  sea  and  cisterns  duL'  to  catch  the  lains.     An  orchard 

'vas  .set   out   and   an   avenue   of   willows  projected.     He   also 

indulged  airain  in  a  little  horseback  exercise. 

I)t  v(dd  alike  of  a  sense  of  humour  and  a  sense  of  propor- 
tion, the  governor  and  his  restless  taskmasters  at  London  in- 
Mstcd  no  more  steinly  on  keepintr  Xajioleon  from  returning 
■i  liis  throne  than  that  be  should  not  be  The  titular  Emperor 
v;i  'if  'he  cow  sled  of  Longwood.  Th(>  prisoner  offered  to 
i'li't  tile  name  of  Colonel  .Muiron  or  Baron  Duroc,  but  the 
London  government  seemed  to  think  it  was  the  prerogative 
iiiily  111'  royalty  to  wear  an  incognito. 

A  hook  iiiscrilied  to  liim   by  the  imperial  title  was  confis- 

lati'd  and  somo  chessmen,  which  were  sent  to  him  as  a  <:ift, 

■  thrcai.  ned  with  the  same  fate  for  a  tiiiu>  because  an  N 

I'lid  a  crown   w(  re  carved   on  them.     Even  some  green  and 


■|i 


i! 


468 


IN  THE  footstb:ps  of  napoleon 


sionor,  fell  under  Lowe's  suspicion  and  ho  frraveiy  debated 
in  two  letters  to  his  superiors  in  London  whether  they  were 
not  a  dan^'erons  allusion  to  the  colours  of  the  Bonapartes 
and  the  Bourbons. 

The  government  surely  was  not  without  some  .iustiiication 
in  objeetin^'  to  the  yearly  expenses  of  Loni:\.o()d  out-runniiii; 
the  liberal  limit  of  .$r)0.()0()  a  year.  When,  however,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  suite  reported  that  a  resident  had  expressed  his 
envy  of  the  exiles,  who  had  beef  every  day  while  the  poor 
island'  rs  could  indul«;e  their  appetite  for  it  only  three  or 
four  times  a  year.  Napoleon  laughingly  replied,  "You  oufrlit 
to  have  told  him  that  it  cost  us  several  crowns!"  Upon 
Lowe  insisting  that  the  excess  above  the  $r)0.000  allowance 
shoidd  be  met  out  of  Napoleon 's  own  purse,  the  prisoner  broke 
up  his  silver  plate  and  sent  hundreds  of  pounds  of  the  frag- 
ments in  baskets  to  be  sold  at  Jamestown. 

The  governor  went  more  directly  at  what  was  perhaps  the 
real  object  of  his  superiors  in  this  agitation  when  he  bejjan 
to  arrest  and  deport  the  members  of  the  Longwood  house- 
hold. First  lie  arrested  Las  Cases  on  the  charge  of  havinfr 
attempted  to  smuggle  a  letter  out  of  the  island  and  the  C'unt 
was  deported.  Finally  he  took  away  the  prisoner's  physi- 
cian, Dr.  O'Meara.  whose  habit  of  double  dealing  gave  the 
governor  the  de.sircd  pretext.  O'Meara's  successor.  Dr. 
Stokoe,  another  surgeon  in  the  British  navy,  quickly  fell  un- 
der Napoleon's  spell  and,  arousing  the  governor's  suspicion, 
he  was  court-martialed  and  dismissed  from  the  navy  after 
nearly  twenty  years'  service.  One  of  the  charges  preferred 
against  the  doctor  was  that  he  had  refused  to  employ  the 
words  "r;eneral  Bonaparte"  in  his  reports  from  the  sick- 
room, for  now  Nai)oleon  was  a  painfully  sick  man,  and  had 
designated  him  simply  as  "the   patient." 

Meanwhile  (Jeneral  (lourgaud,  after  vainly  trying  to  get  up 
a  duel  with  Montholon,  voluntarily  sailed  away  to  Europe, 
but  with  a  secret  communication  from  Napoleon  In  the  soles 
of  his  bnof  .     The  Countess  do  Montholon  also  returned  home. 

Before  three  years  of  the  exih>  had  passed,  a  full  lialf  of  the 

,....__  1  1  1-1       I-   -    1      i_      1,^, — .   ,-,; -J-»i,it^ci     mil] 


iy  debatrd 

tlioy  wcri' 

ionapartfs 

astification 
nt-runniiii; 
T,  a  nifiii- 
)ressed  liis 
i  the  poor 
r'  throe  or 
Vou  ou^'Iit 
;!"  rpon 
allnwaiu'e 
ouer  broke 
f  the  frag- 

erhaps  the 

he  bejian 

Dod  hoiise- 

of  havinjr 

tho  C'unt 

>r's  physi- 

r  ^Hve  the 

?ssor,    Dr. 

ly  fell  un- 

siispieion, 

lavy  after 

preferred 

mploy  the 

1   the  siek 

I,  and  had 

r  to  ?et  up 

0  Europe, 

1  the  soles 
'lU'd  home. 
lialf  of  the 


Till     I. AM    Days   ui     N  ai'oi.kon,    i!y    \i:r,.v 


'< 


(  N'dw  cluTislii'd  at   .Maliiiiiis( 


ST.  IIKLKXA 


4G9 


.  iir  aw.iy.  Tlio  prisoinT  fjiiicicd  that  in  the  ctid  no  one  hut 
Marrli.inil  would  n-niiiin  and  In-  said  to  his  valet:  "  Vou  will 
•■•ail  to  nil'  and  you  will  clos"  my  eyes." 

So  it  iiiiL'ht  have  hccn  had  lif  lived  a  little  lontrer.  For 
Mdiitholon  keeidy  felt  the  ahsenee  of  his  wife,  and  he  and 
til..'  Hcrtcarids,  too,  wiTe  apnealini:  for  snhstitules  to  relieve 
thrtii  whrii  happily  death  eanie  to  the  relief  of  the  exile  hini- 


Iii  much  of  the  latter  half  of  his  more  than  five  years  of 
ixile,  Napoleon  was  in  the  painful  throes  of  cancer,  althouudi 
his  ilis.'ase  was  not  discovereil  hy  his  [)hysicians.  The  hitter- 
!■-■;  iif  the  duel  that  never  ceased  to  raw  between  him  and 
Liiiitloii  cut  him  otr  from  the  s\inpathy  and  consideration  of 
till'  liritish  '_'Overnment,  and  even  to  the  last  it  was  su[)posed 
tliiit  hf  was  oidy  shaii.minfr.  A  political  motive  was  sus- 
I^rttd  in  his  every  action.  When  comjtlaint  was  heard  of 
:i  su.irm  of  rats  that  invaded  Loni,'vvood,  runnin<:  about  the 
Kiiip. -or's  feet,  jumping  out  of  his  hat  when  he  picked  it 
111',  iittackinj;  other  members  of  the  party  and  racing,'  and 
S'|iicaliii<r  all  iiijzht,  the  colonial  secretary  in  London  hon- 
t>tly  persuaded  himself  that  \a[)oleon  must  be  encouraLMni: 
iiii'l  marshalling  the  rodents  in  order  to  fjive  him  another 
-rii'vance. 

Aiiioiiu'  all  his  brother  sovereigns  the  only  one  to  speak  a 
»oni  of  [lity  was  he  who  had  the  most  to  forgive.  With 
•  hristian  charity,  Pius  VII  listened  to  the  prayers  of  the 
;!!lli'ti(l  mother  of  the  prisoner  and  appealed  to  the  [)rinc(> 
i'-uMit  of  Kmrland  and  the  allied  monarchs  for  the  alleviation 
"!' thr  banished  Emjieror's  hard  lot. 

I'll''  liritish  government  con.sented  to  permit  a  friendly 
I'liysiriaii  and  two  priests  to  go  to  St.  Helena,  and  Cardinal 
l'>'li  chose  three  Corsieans,  Dr.  Antoramarchi  and  Fathers 
^'i-'nali  and  Buonavita.  While  P^ither  Vignali  heard  his 
TOiitVssion  ;iiid  at  the  last  gave  hini  the  sacraments  of  the 
'■'i'livii.  th(>  newcomers  did  not  prove  to  be  agreeable  com- 
panions for  Napoleon.  lie  remained  indifferent  to  the  simple 
I'ri'>ts  and  could  not  give  his  confidence  or  his  resnect  to  the 

(i-irtlir. 


470 


IN  TIIK   !••()( )TSTi: I 'S  Ol'  NAI'OLKON 


u"-'  way 


Doctors  ()'Mc;iiM  ;ii;'l  Sloknc  had  diiiLMuisnl  liis  ailiiimt  as 
a  (lisrasf  (if  tlir  liver  and  hr  iv;,Mr<lfd  liiiiisrlf  as  a  vi.'tim  of 
the  St.  Ililriia  cliiiiatc.  Aiildimiiai'clu,  hdw.vcr.  diil  not  \\rw 
the  syiiiptoiiis  with  iinirli  .jravity.  In  the  levity  of  his  rhar- 
iii'ter".  this  new  (hietor  actually  nioeked  the  fin  liiid  -  nVrr- 
iii'.'s  of  his  patient,  uhieh  he  fancied  were  only  stiimilated  in 
the  liope  of  L'aiilin-.'  the  sympathy  of  tlie  world  and  a  return 
to  Kuro|)c.  Wlien  Nai>olcoii  told  him  of  the  siahhni'^  pains 
in  his  side,  where  cancerous  ulcers  were  cult  in 
unsuspected  hy  the  live  {.iixsiciaiis  who  first  a 
uttemh'd  liim,".\utommaivlii  only  lau-hed  at  him  and  jriive 
him  a  drastic  piir-e  ni  tartar  em. 'tie  that  cau--d  the  sh  k  man 
to  writlie  on   the   tlooi". 

Ev.-ii  in  the  month  hefore  the  end,  wlicn  Nanol,  n  rerlimu 
in  his  chair,  stricken  am'  cohl,  his  memory  •rone  ai.  1  liis  mind 
wand.TiiiL',  an  Kn-lish  doctor  douhted  the  seriousness  of  his 
enndition  and  tohl  him  to  -et  up  and  shave,  his  h.^ani  hchii: 
lone'  and  uivin<,'  his  face  an  uncanny  aiipearaiice.  The  uviiip 
man  could  only  feehly  phad  his  helplessness. 

Lord  liathurst,  the  colonial  secretary  in  London,  was  scizol 
most  inopportunely  with  a  new  alarm  and  warned  Lowe  thai 
he  had  strong'  reasons  for  believiiii:  that  "(leneral  Bonaparte' 
was  seriously  oherishins  an  i(h'a  of  escapiiiL'  from  St.  Helciin 
It  was  true!  The  prisoner  of  Lont'wood  well  knew  tliat  th. 
hour  of  his  deliverance  was  fast  api>roa(diin2.  '•Kudam 
calls  for  my  corpse."  he  said  three  weeks  hefore  his  spirit  sur 
rendered  it;  "1  will  not  keep  her  waiting." 

In  the  sixth  year  of  his  captivity,  he  limped  into  the  (h'aw 
in<'  room  to  i)ass  his  few  remaining'  days.  There,  v.hih'  Meii 
tholon  watelii'.l  l)v  him  at  niLdit,  he  heard  him  murmur  m  hi 
delirium.  "Fran.v  tet.'  crArmee  !---head  of  the  '  uiy-aiP 
saw  him  suddenly  spring'  up  fnmi  his  cot,  the  c^  i  on  wluc 
1„.  ha.l  slept  at  Austerlitz— and  at  Waterloo.  The  Count  lai 
a  restrainiiiL'  hand  on  iiim.  Imt  with  a  litful  bur.-t  of  that  ei 
er-y  which  had  shaken  tlirones,  the  delirious  man  seized  hii 
and  dra^ued  !iim  to  th.'  floor.  It  was  Napol.'on's  last  stru'ii:!' 
an.l  thenceforth  throughout  th.'  day,  he  hiy  motionless  on  h 
little  eamp  bed,  thirty   inches  wide. 


ST  iiKi.i:^  \ 


471 


llllnirlil     , 

victim  n: 
1  not  \\>w 
•  his  rli.ir- 

111    ^  itTiT- 

iiulatiMJ  in 
i  a  rrturii 

IlillL'    jl::lll^ 

till'''  u;iy 
1    '    M    ]v.v\ 

ami  travi' 
(■  sii  k  man 

>11    rn-lillnl 

1  liis  miii'l 
lU'ss  (if  hi- 
.  nril  'I'iii- 

Tlu'  ../ill'.' 

was  sri/i  .1 

Lowe  that 

ionaparti'" 

St.  llrlciin. 

•w  that  th.' 

"  KlIL'h'IP.il 

■i  spirit  sur- 

0  the  (h'aw- 
while  Mi'H 
nnr.r  in  liis 

•uiy— ami 
L  oil  whi'h 
Count  laiil 
of  Ml, It  I'll- 

1  seized  liiiii 
:isl  .stni'iL'h', 
iiilfss  on  lu> 


M 


was  .\lav  ■). 


l^Jl 


A'Miut    tilt'   'lyinn   KmiuTor.   stood    his  trraiii!   ina-lial     iiul 

Mrrtrand,    Willi    their   >'liililr('ii ;    (,'oiiiit    de    Moii'lioioii, 

ivt   iiid  and  St.  1),  iiis.  with  oth.'rs  of  tiie  servants,     hi  the 


UfXt 

Tl 


rooi 

le  sun  MIS  si 


l-'.ith.'i'    ''iu'iiali    Isie'lt     !t    the   altar, 


issi'1tiii_'  lii'hiiid  hiai-k  clmids  which  liinl  rolled  i;i 
'!•  11  t!  ••  wind-swciit  .\tlaiitic  jitid  hurst  upon  St.  Ijchna. 
I:;,  furious  .^toI  111  iiUc  the  rn;ii'  of  iiiiu'iity  l)atteri''s,  tcrriticcl 
•• .  -hinders,  who  were  almost  unacquainted  witii  the  souhd  of 
'.liiiiHlcr.  Tl  te  ts  of  tif  Hritish  (iuards  at  l.oiiL'wnod  were 
Mown  away  and  the  cordon  of  picket  ships  iiuulc  fur  the 
';•■  !i  ^ea. 

At  eleven  minutes  hefore  six,  when  ine  tempest  was  heating 
loudest  auaiiist  the  wal's  of  Loimwood,  the  exile  inadc  his 
tinal  escape.  As  the  torineiited  so  d  took  lliulit,  the  calmness 
;:ii'!  hcauty  of  youth  oveispi.  ad  the  cla.ssie  countenance  on 
''i'  nillow,  leaving  no  trace  of  'he  I'isth  >s  amhitions  and  tur- 
:  i.  lit  pa.ssions  that  so  loie^  lue    trouhled  it 

.\aiiolcon  himself  had  fraiied  the  'etle-  oi  iiotilieation  which 
WIS  despat(died  to  tie  'Jo  riior.  An  autopsy  was  held  by 
I'.'  physicijins  who  hau  fa  d  to  diagnose  the  fatal  disease. 
Ti:'.\  found  that  the  liver  was  ily  sli<,'htly  ciilai'ucd  hut  that 
•!ir  stoinai'h  was  terrihly  ravaged  liy  a  cancerous  i:rowtli. 
Tiir  heart,  which  i)roved  to  he  remarkahly  small,  was  reiioved 
ill  a'^oi'd. nice  with  the  i^eipiest  of  Nai)oleon,  "ho  directi  1  that 
It  >!ieiild  be  delivered  To  Marie  Louise.  The  irovernor,  how- 
•\-  r.  refused  to  let  it  he  carried  from  the  island  uutil  it  had 
i"'ii  thily  1  .leased  hy  the  Hritish  ^'overnment. 

.\  -rave  was  duji  in  a  spot  chosen  by  the  Emperor  beside 
;i  s]>iiii^'  and   beneath  the  shade  of  two  willows  in   a  deep 

iviiie,  then  called  the  Devd's  Pnnchhowl,  but  thenceforth 
11(11'  a^n-eeably  known  a  (ieranium  Valley.  Some  slabs  of 
^'mie,  torn  from  the  kit.  .<.n  floor  at  Lon^^wood,  were  selected 
for  the  covering  of  the  tomb,  and  the  mourniiiir  followers 
wi^-ii.'.l  to  carve  upon  it  merely  the  name.  Napoleon.  The 
-•  riior,  however  forbade  the  inscriiuion  as  too  imperial,  nn- 
l.s.<,  the  surname  Bonaparte  were  added,  and  the  stone  was 
ieit  bare. 


i 


472 


I\   TIIK   I'UOrSTKi'S  OF   \.\  IM  )M:(J.N 


Tlif  sworil  of  flir  rorii|ii(rnr  ami  flic  I'Inak  hf  wore  at  M 
rfti'_'o  UTPf  laid  (Ui  tlir  cuiViti,  wliidi,  on  tlic  fourtli  day  at'l 
death.  v\as  liofiic  t"i'niii  LoiiLiUood  in  a  I'lidi'  t'nnci'al  cai',  ai 
as  till'  (ircat  ('aiitain  was  laid  to  fist  in  the  luiiatirlioly  va 
liritisli  i.'uns  vollcNcd  .■ici()»  lii>  naiiu'lc-^  ^lavc. 


JN 


wore  at  Ma- 
'li  (liiy  iil't.r 
rill  I'iir,  iiihi 
!ii'lii)lv  \a!', 


r;.\i(;r.()X  and  tiii;  noNAiwirriis 

AI'"ri:K'  triaivhiiiL'  tliioii^'li  lilood  iiii<i  tire  from  Padi/  to 
MdM'ow.  ill  liis  ariiliitioM  to  t'ouiid  a  Hoiiapartc  dynasty. 
Xapnl,  nil  lic(|Ucatlic(l  to  his  race  only  a  'Town  of  sor- 
i"\^  and  a  licrita;,'!'  of  misfortune.  While  he  lm'_'ered  in 
cai'tivity  within  the  jri-aiitie  walls  of  St.  Helena,  his  son  was 
iii't  h-s  a  prisoner  in  hi.s  i^randlather's  palace  at  N'ieima.  and 
his  Ill-others  and  sisters,  whom  he  had  thrust  into  the  sacred 
linle  of  royalty,  were  hranded  as  outcasts  hy  the  old  rei>:n- 
in-  families  of  Kurope.  who  condemned  them  to  wander  over 
the  earth  with  their  trunks  for  their  thrones. 

If  those  i)arvenii  princes  and  princesses  were  despised  by 
the  ii'iiimphant  sovereiijns,  the  four-year-old  Kin;_'  of  Homo 
inspired  a  dread  in  every  palace  and  eal»inet  of  Kurope.  For 
he  was  the  cairle's  own  fled.dini:  and  half  a  ilaps})ur<:  besides. 
\Vli..refuni  the  little  eagle  languished  a  captive  in  liis  i^'ilded 
ia;.'e. 

In  imitation  of  Xapoleon,  the  allied  monarchs  determined 
t'l  :;  ike  themselves  the  masters  of  Kurope.  He  had  attemj)tcd 
ti)  iiiiire  the  nations  in  a  jjreat  federation,  under  his  sole  rule, 
iiii.l  they  determined  to  revive  the  federation  under  their 
.i"int  lule.  To  tJiat  end,  they  formed  the  eeh'hrated  Holy  Alli- 
'ii"e.  which  was  inauL'urated  by  Czar  Alexander  1  and  which 
w;is  joined  by  \irtually  all  the  sovereijm.s  on  the  continent. 
\^ith  the  establishment  of  that  leairue,  the  kiu-rs  thouudit 
they  had  secured  for  all  time  the  reiiru  of  peace  under  their 
authority. 

Only  the  fear  that  the  French  volcano  might  again  burst 
forth  tronbleil  the  counsels  of  the  Allies.  They  \\crj  sure 
then-  was  no  danger  as  long  as  Louis  XVIII  lolled  on  the 
thioiie;   but   they  well   knew  that   the   King  could    b^  pi^et^H 

473 


474 


IN  THE  FOOTSTHI'S  OK  NAPOLKON 


from  tlic  Tiiilci'ifs  ;is  roialily  now  as  when  Naiiolooii  rctiininl 
fpiii!  K!li;i.  At  til-'  tlii>u"lit  tlial  tilt'  cxilfd  KiuiuTor  iiii'ilit 
.■veil  scale  till'  walls  of  St.  lli'lciia  ami  swim  across  the  ocran. 
they  furiously  dcmandcil  in  their  meetiuL:  at  Aix  la  Chii- 
pelle  in  IMS  that  he  should  show  himself  to  his  custodians 
twice  a   day. 

Kven  when  the  welcome  news  came  that  tlio  prisoner  of 
LDii'-'wood  lay  in  the  nameless  j^i'ave  beneath  the  willows,  ihy 
slill  I'ould  not  rest  at  ease.  For  there  was  another  Napnlcoii 
at  Vienna,  and  all  the  while  they  had  been  hai'dly  less  feaifiil 
and  watchful  of  him.  Their  suspicion  and  alarm  obli-j-cd  his 
erandfatliei'  to  imirui'e  the  boy  within  his  jialace  walls  and 
his  timid   molhcr  was   friirhtered   into  abandiuiim.;'  him. 

A  faint  and  pathetii  shadow  on  the  paiit'S  of  history  is  poor 
rAijrIon.  tile  |iale  shade  of  his  mi'ibty  sire.  That  he  iiii'jlit 
be  born,  an  Fmprcss  was  d-tlirtuicil  and  the  proudest  imperial 
race  in  the  woi'bl  <iave  its  daiiiihter  to  a  Corsican  plebeian, 
whereat  Kmpei-ors  (piarrelled,  Russia  was  invaded,  Moscow 
burned,  and  the  Cossacks  raced  across  Kuroi)e  and  bi'oko  down 
the  Lzates  of  Paris.  His  first  wail  was  heard  round  the  earth; 
kinus  knecliuii'  by  his  crib  of  L'old  acclaimed  him  the  inheritor 
of  the  loftiest  throne  aiid  tile  widest  domain  of  modern  tinu^, 
and  the  crown  of  Home  was  placed  upon  his  infant  brow. 

Now.  while  yet  in  his  lispinj;  childhood,  bis  crown  and  lus 
inhei'itance  were  uone.  his  father  was  taken  from  liim  and 
he  was  all  but  deserted  by  his  mother.  Snatched  from  Ins 
hor.ii'.  lie  was  deiu'ived  of  his  French  courtiers  and  servants 
and  carried  into  a  foreiuni  country.  There  he  was  not  per- 
mitted to  sec  a  f.amiliar  faee  but  was  surrounded  by  stranwrs 
who  s]H)ke  a  stran^'e  laii'^Uii'.'c,  und  r  orders  to  wean  him 
from  bis  mot  her  toneiie. 

Livin-,'  in  his  Lirandfatlu'r's  palace  at  Schr.idirunn^  at  the 
ed-e  of  Vienna,  he  seems  to  have  liad  no  playmates  for  f- ar 
they  would,  with  boyish  frankness,  remind  iiiiu  of  the  destiny 
to  which  he  had  been  de<licated  in  his  cradle.  Even  his  little 
toys  were  put  away  b"-!  they  keep  alive  a  recollection  of  Ins 
nurserv  in  the  Tuileries. 

Ilis'verv  name  was  d.'ni.d  and  be  was  no  longer  Napoleon 


I/AKiLUN  AND  TilK   lUJNAl'ARTKS 


47.") 


I'r.iiicis  ( 'liiii'lcs,  hut  .Toscpli  Cai'l  I''r;iiiz,  l)fiii<_'  addri'sscd  as 
I'v.tu/.  ill  the  family  cirdf  of  the  1  lapslmr|_'H.  'I'lif  proud 
'  !|i'  of  Roi  dc  Riiiih'  was  likewise  eliaMi.'e(l  to  Ilerzot,'  von 
l;.  ii'listadt.  la  the  ot'iicial  patent  ereatin^'  his  Austrian  duke- 
il.i!ii.  his  paternity  was  i^niored  as  if  lie  were  the  unlawful 
cliild  of  .Mai'ie  Louise  by  an  unkiiov  ii  i'ath.T.  And,  after  the 
iii.inner  of  illeL'itimate  eliildreii  of  princes  and  nrineesses,  he 
iji  I  not  rank  as  a  nieiiiber  of  the  imperial  family. 

ilveti  all  that  remorseli'ss  obliteration  of  the  identity  of  the 
yniiin  Xapoleon  did  not  suttee  to  allay  the  aiixii'ties  of  the 
i.iiind  Alliance.  That  body  demanded  that  he  must  be  cut 
u:i  from  th,;  sueoession  to  his  v  )ther's  lil*le  duehy  of  Parma 
and  not  be  permitted  even  to  live  with  lier,  where  his  pres- 
iiire  nii^dit  enlist  the  sympathy  and  support  of  Marie  Louise's 
>iili.jeets.  The  Allies  insisted  that  there  must  be  no  jiossi- 
lilily  let  for  the  son  ol.'  Napoleou  to  inherit  the  smallest 
-ii'.riTiL'iity  anywhere. 

\or  was  that  enourh.  When  the  Emperor  Francis  of  Aus- 
l!i;i  announced  that  he  would  make  his  ^^randson  the  Duke 
II'  l.'.iehstadt  and  confer  certain  estates  on  him  and  his  heirs, 
lint  mere  .siiiTLrestion  of  i)()sterity  inspired  the  Crand  Alliance 
with  a  new  terror.  Pozzo  di  Poriro  took  the  load  amonij  those 
uiio  demanded  that  the  Xapoleonic  race  should  be  exter- 
iiiiiiati'd.  The  Duke  must  be  thrust  into  the  church  under  a 
vew  of  eeli!)aey,  or  at  least  be  forl)idden  ever  to  marry. 

The  j.'randfather,  however,  did  not  yield  to  that  extreme 
(leiiiand.  Hut  when  he  issued  the  dueal  patent  he  omitted 
ill!  <listurbini,'  references  to  the  heirs  of  the   Duke. 

With  the  .lations  dreadintr  and  his  own  maternal  kindred 
rijivttinir  his  existence;  amidst  plots  for  his  assassination, 
uiiicli  were  fomented  by  a  hatred  of  his  blood,  and  plots  for 
!;;>  abduction,  which  were  concocted  by  enthusiastic  Bona- 
iMitists  in  Pranc  ;  breatliing  an  atmosph..'re  of  mystery  and 
Mispieioii;  detcctin<^  concealment  in  every  face  and  awkward 
iivoidanres  in  every  conversation,  the  little  ea<:le  -rrcw  up. 
The  ereature  and  the  victim  of  ids  extraordinary  environ- 
ment, lu'  passed  from  shyness  to  taciturnity,  from  fear  to 
'1.  eeit,  and  becam(>  the  baf!lin<:  problem  of  the  corps  of  solemn 


tf 


47G 


IN  THE  FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLEON 


pfihisroijrucs  wlio  wor'  vlioscii  to  oradieato  niiy  danccroiis 
aiavistic  traits  in  liis  nature  while  they  rnoulded  liirn  iiit"  at 
Austrian  and  a  Ilapshnri.'. 

Notwitlistandiii;.''  the  ohii^ion  in  whicii  his  origin  was  studi- 
ously wrapped,  he  eontinued  tor  a  time  to  talk  of  "when  1 
used  to  lie  a  kini:,"  and  he  persist(=d  in  the  hahit  of  including 
his  fatiier  in  his  pi'avers,  sinee  no  one  aj;pe::red  to  have  tht 
hardihood  to  forl)i(l  him.  Wiieii  thost'  wiio  constantly  watc-lieii 
him  Were  uratified  to  find  his  childish  thoughts  of  his  exiled 
pai'ent  -rrowin^'  dim,  his  interest  would  be  revived  by  somi! 
I)assin<x  boy  shoutinu',  "Look  at  the  little  Napoleon!" 

Tlie  child  knew  that  ins  father  had  been  t!;.  Emperor  of 
the  French,  hut  with  a  seci'et  shame  he  suspected  that  he  had 
been  "sent  away"  us  a  criminal  for  somethiiiL;-  he  had  done. 
It  was  not  until  he  was  neai'ly  seven  that  ne  made  hold  to 
(|Uesti()n  one  of  his  teachers  directly,  and  this  pathetic  dia- 
logue look  place:  ".My  father  is  in  the  East  Indies,  I  think?" 
"Ah,  no,  it  is  not  so."  "Pei'haps  he  is  in  America?" 
"Why  sliould  he  be  there  .'"  "Where  is  he  then?"  "I  can- 
not tell  you."  "It  seems  to  me  I  have  heard  it  said  lie  was 
ine.xile?"  "What?  In  exile?"  "Yes."  "  How  could  that 
be  possible?" 

Thus  put  off,  "he  little  Duke  retired  within  himself  aj^ain, 
but  iinly  to  cmerL'c  in  ;i  few  days  'vitli  tlie  comment.  "Napo- 
leon must  have  been  a  famous  trenerall"  And  lie  added  the 
(|uest;  11.  "Why  is  lie  no  h  .ii:er  Em|)eror?"  The  teacher  re- 
plied H.at  all  the  jiowers  had  made  war  a^'ainst  him  because 
he  tried  to  nsiirp  the  whole  world.  Then  the  boy  returned 
once  more  to  the  su!)ject  of  his  consuming'  curio'^ily  with  the 
remark.  "I  have  always  heard  he  is  in  Africa.' 

In  desjiair  of  his  forfjettim:  his  father,  his  fruardian  ap- 
pealed to  Em|i'roi'  Francis,  who  conuniysioned  Metternieli. 
of  all  men,  to  lia\e  a  loiit:-  talk  with  the  youth  about  Napo- 
leon. Hy  an  e(pialiy  ironical  choice,  the  Duke  wj's  to  hear, 
when  he  was  older,  a  review  of  his  father's  campaiirns  by 
Marmont.  the  first  marshal  to  betray  the  Emperor. 

When  the  rejiort  came  to  Vienna  that  the  exile  of  St. 
Helena  had  been  liberated,  I'Ai'^lun   was  a  handsome  boy  of 


i/ai(;lu.\  and  the  uonai'artks 


477 


danizcroii.s 
ini  iiitn  an 

was  stiuli- 
'  "whfii  I 

incliuliiii: 
1  liave  tlu' 
y  waTi-lifi] 

his  fxilfi! 
1  bv  some 

inpcror  of 
lat  lie  had 
had  (loiic. 
If  bi)l(i  to 
hetic  (lia- 
I  think?" 
inici'ica '.'" 
'■  I  can- 
id  lie  was 
I'ould  that 

>clf  ajjaiii, 
t,  "Xapo- 
achlrd  the 
eachiT  rr- 
[11  hceausc 
rt'tiinifd 
■  with  thf 

I'dian  ap- 

[cttcriiirli. 
:m\  Xapo- 
s  to  hear, 
[)aigns  by 

ile  of  St. 
lie  liov  ot' 


t.-n.  and  had  now  fully  snccecdcd  in  ponotratine  the  mystery 
\\lin'h  had  cnvi'loped  liis  pat<  niity.  The  tcachei  who  broke 
i<i  the  Duke  tiie  news  of  N..poleoii"s  death  was  suii)rised  that 
he  should  shed  so  many  tears  for  a  father  whom  he  had  not 
v((a  sinee  as  a  child  of  three  the  Emperor  took  him  in  his 
;u":;s  and  kissed  him  ^ood-bye,  before  depai'tinir  on  the  dis- 
.1  *fous  French  campai^:n  of  1814.  But  .Metternieh  advised 
•'  f>  her-in-law  that  it  would  £iot  do  to  permii  mourning 
tnr  one  who  had  bi'en  eivilly  dead  six  years. 

Marie  Louise  did  liot  pay  to  the  dead  e.xile  the  tribute  of  a 
widow's  tears  when  the  Emperor  Francis  notified  iiis  dauirli- 
!-f  tiiat  "(Jeneral  Bonaparte"  was  no  more.  The  reply  of 
•.'.H'  e.\-Empress  who  now  reii:ned  at  Parma  as  the  sovereign 
uf  a  little  Italian  duchy,  is  a  strange  document: 

I  confess  I  was  extremely  slidcked.  Ahliiiii,!.;li  I  never  had  any 
'Iri'p  fcelinsr  f<ir  him,  I  canimt  turret  tliat  lie  is  the  fatiier  of  my 
-11,  and  that  far  frniii  treatintr  nie  tiadly,  as  the  world  seems  to 
:■  ink.  lie  aivvays  showed  me  the  i;Teatest  consideration,  whicii.  after 
::ii.  IS  :ill  tliat  one  slioiiM  expect  rmm  a  pnlitical  marriauc.  1  was, 
■i,i  rrt'nre,  ver\-  nincli  urievcd.  and  aUh(uii:ii  there  is  reason  to  he 
^!;i.l  tliat  he  ended  h's  nnliap]n'  life  as  a  <'liristian  sliouhl,  I  would 
,;i\c  wished  him  n  aiv  more  years  of  liajminess  and  life — i>rovided 
l'.  1  ;v  were  lived  apart  fioin  me. 

That  eoneludinfi:  sentiment  may  sound  unnecessarily  harsh. 
'  ut  it  was  the  very  truth.  It  would  have  been  most  annoy- 
i'l-  had  Napoleon  returned  to  live  again  with  his  wife,  for  in 
.iiiiicipation  of  widowhood  she  had  given  her  left  hand  to 
<  oi;i!t  Xeipperg  and  taken  a  second  husband  the  year  het'ore. 
X'  \ir  in  his  tortuous  career  did  Melternieh  make  a  shrewder 
'iioice  of  an  agent  than  when,  at  Napoleon's  tirst  downfall,  he 
commissioned  the  Count  to  alienate  the  thoughts  of  Marie 
l.oui-  from  her  husband. 
vVheii   Dr.  Antommarchi  appeared  at  Parma  she  declined 

'  sre  that  messenger  from  St.  Helena  and  asked  him  to  give 
if  tirst  husbamrs  dying  m 'ss.ige  to  the  second  husband. 
Til-'  exile  had  wished  to  send  )ier  a  still  more  substantial  token 
of  his  afVection  and  had  rciuested   Antommarchi   to  ''place 


rfi 


478 


I.N  THE  FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLEON 


my  licart  in  spirits  of  wine  iind  lake  it  to  ni.\  l)f'loviHl  .larie 
Louise."  Fortiinatt  ly  for  her.  Sir  IIuilsoii  Lowe  liail  viiri- 
lantly  prevented  tii(>  escape  of  that  oiLran,  lint  Dr  Nntoiii- 
marehi  wislied  lier  to  (leiiiainl  it  from  the  Holy  Alliance. 
She  was  iiatnraiiy  ipiite  upset  hy  tliis  awkward  situation. 
She  implored  her  father  to  sec  that  tin'  heart  \  as  left  in  St. 
Helena,  hecause  if  it  sliouhl  he  hronirht  to  Parma  it  wmild 
^'ive  lier  a  "fresh  shock"  ami  besides  attract  crowils  of  p,!- 
griins. 

f^or  two  years  at  a  time  FAit'lon  did  not  look  upon  his 
mother,  and  she  i)ecamc  to  him  a  sti'ain:cr  who  he  met  ■  'hI 
parted  from  without  emotion.  His  childhood  and  boyhood 
were  jtassed  almost  wholly  ainonu  men,  eliarj,'cd  to  take  every 
care  that  he  should  not.  moult  into  a  full-Ucd-cd  oafrle. 

"While  he  silently  peered  out  upon  a  world  that  had  seenicil 
to  ban  him,  imisini,'  in  the  paths  of  Schonbrun.i,  or  ret^cct- 
inir  alone  in  his  little  loi:  house  in  tlie  palace  park,  the  Rona- 
partists  rallied  around  liis  name  and  sedulously  kept  alive  his 
memory  in  France.  When  it  was  suspected  that  (Jourtraud 
was  cominp:  on  a  mission  to  the  youu'.,'  Napoleon,  Mcttcriiich 
ordered  thai,  he  should  be  tuined  back  from  the  frtMiticr. 
A^'ain,  i'  French  emissary  tried  to  open  commiuiieation  with 
him  by  tossing  into  his  passiiiLr  earriaiif  a  letter  which  an- 
nounced, "Sire!  :{0,()()().()0()  subjects  await  y(jur  return." 
Bui  the  boy's  watchful  custodian  i:rai)bed  'he  letter  so  ([uickly 
that  he  thou^'lit  tjie  Prince  luul  not  even  notii-ed  the  incident. 

I'oets  smote  their  lyres  to  "The  Son  of  the  ]\Lan,"  and, 
althouj,di  the  Bourbon  police  raided  the  Paris  shops  time  and 
a^ain,  perfumei'y  bn^lles-,  drinkiufr  <:lasses,  snutf  boxes,  knives, 
liandkcrchiefs,  pipes  and  all  maimer  of  personal  articles  bear- 
inir  FAii-'lon's  portrait  found  their  way  into  French  pockets 
and  P'rench  homes.  Even  in  Vienna,  ^Metternich  was  dis- 
turbe<l  by  the  appearance  of  gloves,  on  which  the  boy's  like- 
ness bad  been  stamped,  and  the  police  seized  them.  While 
one  faction  thus  was  tryin<jr  to  thrust  a  crown  upon  the  Du'e, 
another  faction  was  siipposed  to  be  planning  his  assassination, 
and  Savary  sent  a  warniii'j  to  Metternich  that  Pozzo  di  lioru'o 
was  a  member  of  a  conspiracy  to  murder  the  heir  of  Napoleon. 


n 


L'AICLON  AND  THE  BONAPARTES 


479 


Wh..n  the  Fn.n.l.   national   sy.irit  ^u.d  sufficiently  revived 
to  throw  otV  the  Bourbons,  and  the  nation  was  on  the  eve  of 
;   ""lotion  of   IS..),  the  Bonaparfsts  »K.sou.hthe  A,^ 
i.„  .overn.nent  to  free  tne  eapt.ve  eaglet  and  let  hnn  fl 

h.."waitu>u'  throne.     Many   dispassionate  observers   Nve  e 

,';;.eed  that  I'Ai.lon  neede.l  only  to  aPP^-  ^  ^^ th. 

mrive  the  erowu ;  but  the  Ilapsbur-s  dared  not  eonsu  t  th.ir 

an   V  interests  and  ,'ain  the  Fren-h  throne,     'ihus  in 

,11  the  drean>s  and  sehenu.  of  the  Bonapartists    no 

'vMnU  Louis  I'lnlippe  of  the  House  of  Orleans  prohted 

V   h    Revolution  and  heeame  the  Citi/en  King  of  the  1  renel  . 

^       tit  time  the  Duke  was  preparing  to  enter  upon  a  nnli- 

fn  V        ee    iinder  the  Austrian  fla,.     As  he  nnpatiently  ap- 

;;:,,;;:^heendc,fhistut.a.o 

;:!-^'-^;^n:;;^^::rd:::^.dhis.L^ 

^:;:;,„,  a;:i  dlLrted  id^s."     The  p.la.o.Wi     not^  how^ 
over    make  all  the  entries  on  the  debtor  side  of  the  Duki 
I.  ;.r      On  the  eontrarv.  he  ooneeded  his  "engaging  appear- 
;"  ,  is  ''faseinating  and  often  impressive  observatums 
■-.that  stamps  him  as  belonging  to  a  special  order. 
"Th./Dule  himself  once  or  twice  dropped  his  reticence  con^ 
ee  nine  his  inner  thoughts  and  left  us  a  «-  ;";^„-- ,    ,/ 

"•'''^'^-ri^i/:::rr\i;r^::nw^^ 

;^;:  rnn;.:;;^^;o:;ndy  the  French  langua.^.^^^^^^ 
,„,!  ,,,  ,,„t  lost.     The  Duke  replied  a, >provin.d    to  thU^^^^^^^^^ 
,ho,n  n..  ,>robably  never  inspected  of  being  hsst.p  ah  r^ 
-It   .Fnneh)    is  the  lan-uage  in  which  my  ta  her  gaxe  tne 
J,l  o  maud   m  all  his  battles,  in  which  his  name  was 

•    el  with  ulorv  and  in  whicOi  he  has  left  us  unporahe  e  1 
;™.i,.s  of  the  a;t  of  .ar,  while  to  tl.e  lasl   he  -P-^^^^h 
w,sh  that   I  should  m  .er  repudiate  the  natio,,  into  uhi.h 

"A^riu.  vowed.  '-Tl.    ehief  ann  of  my  lif.-  must  he^^^^^^^ 

*i        ,1    .,,r-   fitber  s   tame,         < 'ii   ar.otli'-r  0(  cd 
ninam  unworthy  ol    in\    larnd  s 


},S() 


IN  TllK   KooTSTI'.l'S  OF  NAI'OLKON 


sion  lie  said  to  a  man  in  tones  of  (icrin'sf  firalitatif,  "Viui 
tli't'indcd  my  I'atlK  r's  honour  at  a  time  wlim  all  iiicii  vied  witli 
onr  anotlii'f  to  slainiir  his  name.  I  have  read  your  'Battle 
of  Waterloo,"  aihl  in  order  to  impress  its  every  lino  on  my 
memory    I   translated   it   twice   -into  rrerieli  and   Italian." 

At  twenty  the  Duke  was  I'eie.oved  fi'oni  the  eiistody  of  his 
teaehers,  hut  only  to  l)e  placed  under  the  surveillance  of  a 
-rroup  of  army  otiicers.  Yet  the  llapshurirs  pretended  to  be- 
lieve that  amid  all  those  fetters  tliey  were  really  reariiii:  an 
ea-jle,  another  Napoleon  who,  at  tlie  head  of  the  Austrian 
army,  would  jirove  himself  the  lirst  soldier  in  the  world.  Ili.^ 
sour  old  preeeptor-in-chief  was  sure  that  his  puj)il  could  b<; 
made  "the  worthy  heir  of  his  father's  fame,"  and  "a  pow- 
erful uiiholder  of  the  Austri.m  state."  On  every  hand  un- 
bounded hopes  were  professed  of  the  soarinir  hei<_dits  whidi 
he  would  achieve.  Vet  the  Kmperor  and  .Mettertnch  dared 
not  let  him  '.io  to  I'rauue  or  leave  Vicuna  for  fear  the  littk 
eai:le  mi^'ht  homeward  lly! 

At  court  halls  liis  ai)pcarance  aroused  curiosity  sufli  as  ii( 
llai^shiiri,'  e.\  -ted.  liis  i)eautiful  face  ami  ready  wit  con 
(,uered  men  and  women  alike.  As  he  wont  to  his  barracl.s 
the  Viennese  stood  at  thi'ir  wir.dows  to  see  the  tall,  distin 
'.'uished,  and  nobly  seateil  horseman  L'allop  by.  The  soUlion 
broke  the  decorum  of  the  drill  trround  to  greet  him  with  rini.' 
iuj:  cheers  whenever   he   presented   himself  before  them. 

The  younj.'  officer  disjilayed  so  much  z.'al  and  <xenerally  sucl 
a  fiery" temperament  in  his  military  drties  t'nt  he  nejilectec 
to  rest  and  sliudited  his  meals,  liis  physician  counselled  prii 
deuce  and  warned  him  that  he  had  a  spirit  of  iron  in  a  l)o<i; 
of  crystal.  For  the  youth  had  >:rown  too  fast  and  he  had  th 
too  narrow  chest  (.f  the  Ilaiishurtr  race. 

After  an  ailiu-r  time  In  be;l,  when  h.ls  phvsicians  failed  t. 
detect  bis  tubercular  symptoms,  he  went  drivins;  on  tli 
Prater.  It  was  a  raw  eoid  day  in  the  sprin^r  of  1832  and,  hi 
carriaire  hrcakinsr  down,  he  started  to  walk  bo'ne  but  san 
fainting  in  the  street.  When  he  returned  to  his  sick  bed  li 
(piicklv  fell  a  pn>y  to  tuberculosis. 

Week  after  week  he  strove  for  T.fe  with  rapidly  inereasm 


I/AKiLON  AND  TllK  BONAPARTKS 


481 


•■..lilcnosR.  StiU  I'.is  mothor,  pr.>sumnhly  absorbed  in  b.T  now 
•auiilv  at  Parma  did  not  conu-  to  s.m-  him.  Aft.'rward  when 
>!„•  did  visit  Austria,  slic  tarrird  with  her  fathrr  at  Tri.'ste 
1,11, 1  loiif:  (Iffcrrt'd  thr  rcmaiidiiu'  short  journey  to  Vit-uua. 

WliHrMettcnii.h  visited  the  Duke  and  saw  what  a  "terrible 
wreck"  he  wis,  he  wrote  to  the  Kmi.eror  insistintr  that  Mane 
Laiiise  must  liasten  to  the  side  of  her  son.  Only  then  did  she 
awaken  to  her  maternal  duty,  so  much  had  she  f.'rown  apart 
I';,, 111  iier  old  life  and  from  her  boy. 

'file  last  niudit  eame,  when  the  soul  of  I'Ait^lon  beat  against 
'■■:■  wasted  and  broken  bars  of  its  bodily  eajxe.  He  lay  in  the 
r.at  fn'seo<'(l  room  where,  after  the  victory  of  \Va-_Tam,  his 
.  „|„.r  liad  dictate,!  terms  of  peace  to  his  ^'randfather  and  had 
,i,v;,,„ed  of  demandini:  a  dau-ht.-r  of  the  Ca-sars  to  -ive  him 
.n  heir  to  his  empire  and  his  udory.  Marie  Louise  slept,  and 
„„ly  a  vaiet,  rot  even  a  doctor,  watched  and  heard  the  de- 
lirious murmurinfTS  of  the  dyin<i  youth. 

••(•all  mv  mother!  Call  my  mother!"  he  hoarsely  whis- 
; ,  red  as  the  dawnin-  summer  day  lit  up  the  birr,  empty  room, 
„  1  he  felt  him.self  sinking'  with  no  hand  but  a  valet  s  to 
n.p  It  was  not  thus  that  lie  had  come  into  the  world. 
Th.i.  the  ditrnitarics  of  an  empire  crowded  about  tlie  bed; 
,  aris  anxiouslv  listened  for  the  100  tnms  of  the  Invalides  and 
all  Kurope  hearkened  to  h.is  birth  cry.  Now  he  was  sighing 
awav  his  poor,  fruitless  life  in  a  deserted  chamber. 

r'hc  valet  called  a  member  of  the  Duke's  statf  and  a  physi- 
,ian  Thev,  however,  hesitated  to  break  in  upon  .^larie 
Louise's  sl'eep  and  the  mother  was  not  summoned  until  her 
l.nv  s  lips  were  silent  and  his  eyes  fixed.  Kneeling  by  his  bed- 
s„le  at  the  admini-^tration  of  the  sacrament  of  extreme  unc- 
lion.  she  rose  only  when  told  that  I'Aiglon  had  taken  flight 
aii'l  was  free  at  last. 

Sh,.  had  hardly  more  than  gone  when  the  palace  crowd 
l.-an  to  stream  into  the  chamber  and  seize  upon  souvenirs 
of  the  dead.  In  an  hour  they  had  almost  stripped  his  room, 
ra-rvin-  ofV  his  sticks  and  whiles  and  ruthlessly  snipping  his 
^,■\\nv■  rurls  until  his  head  was  shorn  of  most  of  its  hair. 
When  death  thus  claimed  the  son  of  .Marie  Louise  it  brought 


4S2 


IN  TlIK   l'(»(  »Tsri;  rs  ok  XAI'oLIKtX 


;i  striiii'.'i'  riVi'MLT"'  to  tin'  memory  of  the  (iivori-cd  .fosopliir 
l''oi-   now   luT   t,M'iinilsoii,    Louis   Napolroii,   the   only   survivii 
son  of  llortrrisc.  Iirc;im.    tli.'  lu'ir  I(    tlir  ovcrtunitil  throiir 
till'    I'lmiiii'i'    ami    iIm'    liojir    of    tlic    pi'oNcriliril    ami    sfattrfi 
HonaparMcs. 

At  tiir  fall  <if  Napolfon,  .Mmr.  .Men'  in  lnr  rrfiiL'f  at  Kon 
had  hi'coiiic  tlir  ccal  licail  of  thr  famils'.  In  pros{)cri 
liiT  I'liildi'cn  ,,iil  sniili'd  at  thi'  pi'iidi'iit  coiinsi'ls  of  tli 
simple,  thrifty  woman  who  in  poverty,  hail  reared  them  I 
patehiiiir  iind  se'uhliinL'.  When  adversity  eame  once  mo 
they  turned  to  her  a'^ain  and  i)iaeed  themselves  under  li 
stern  maternal  rule.  She  had  saved  more  than  any  of  tlu' 
fr-om  a  disaster  wliieh  she  had  always  foretohl,  and  they  i 
loneer   were   ashamed    of  her    parsimony. 

'!"(>  .\a|)oleon  she  otVered  all  she  nad.  heeiiusc  she  said  si 
owed  it  all  to  him.  "What  does  it  matter?"  she  areiir 
"When  I  shall  have  nothing:  left.  I  shall  take  my  .stick  ai 
eo  jiliout  hee'^ini/  alms  foi'  Najioleon's  mother." 

.Mine.  Melt'  ^vas  seveiit \ -one  when  called  to  iiiourn  tl 
death  of  the  Kmperor.  It  was  her  sorrowful  foi-tuiii' 
survive  many  who  were  dear  to  her.  Her  daii^'hter  Kiis 
tlie  former  (Irand  Duchess  of  Tuscany,  died  the  year  hefoi 
and  her  dauehter  Tauline,  the  Princess  Boi'irliese,  four  yc:i 
after  .\apole(Ui.  Death  next  claimed  rAiirloii,  her  heir,  t 
lose  and  expectancy  of  her  old  Ji^rc  Then  Savcria.  the  Ion 
lime  companion  who  in  plainer  days  had  sJiared  the  hou; 
hold  lahoiirs  at  A.jaecio,  was  taken  from  her. 

As  unhetidini,'  hefor;/  the  frowns  as  she  had  lieen  before  t 
smiles  of  fortune,  sustained  t»y  her  maternal  i)ride  in  havii 
;.'iveii  to  the  world  a  master,  .Mine.  .Mere  remained  an  acti 
and  t'amiliar  tiLMire  in  the  streets  and  parks  and  cliurdics 
h'ome  until,  at  NO,  she  trii(i)ed  and  broke  her  hip.  Fi'i'  s 
ycar.s  more  she  tarried,  a  cripi»le  in  a  world  of  i^raves.  1. 
inL'  at  full  leiieth  on  a  mattress  in  her  earria^'e,  she  persi.st 
for  a  time  in  driviiiL'  about  the  noble  city.  At  home  in  li 
old  jialazzo  on  the  Corso.  which  still  is  marked  out  on  t 
i;uiile  books  of  h'oine,  her  favourite  post  was  by  a  wmdc 
and    Komaub    and    traveUers    from    all    parts    of    the   wor 


I/AKiLoN   AM)  TllK   HONArAHTKS 


4S:l 


i  .Fosopliiiii 
y   siirviviiij 
(1  tliroiic  (i! 

,il     SrattrPi 

iL'f  at  Riiiii' 

M'ls        (.f       tlll^ 

(■(1      fllClll     ll\ 

OIICI'      IIKII 

i  iindi'i'  h' I' 
my  of  tliiiii 
iiid  tlifv  iiii 

she  said  slif 
slit'  fir'^iii'il 
ly  .st!('U  ami 

IllOUI'll  the 
I'oiiUlH'  til 
fjllttT  Kusii. 
year  hctori'. 
,  four  yt'iir^ 
irr  hfir,  til'- 
ia.  tlif  loiiL' 
1  tlu'  house- 

n  licforc  the 
lo  ill  liavinsr 
I'd  an  active 

cllUI'elle.S  of 

ip.  Fur  »i>; 
l,'ravi's.  Ly- 
^iu'  ptTsisteil 
hoilll'   ill  llel' 

out  on  ill'' 
\-  a  winil'  \v, 
[■    the    worlJ 


inMM'i 


1   iu 


til.'   ria//a    V.ii.zia   to  irn/.''   u] 


1   ill 


till'   mntlur  of 


\; 


IcO 


ti.      UliiuliM'ss  \\as  a 


l,lrd   to   li'i-   .'itlhrtioiis.   hut    witli 


,1  |i,,,ilirrly  siiiilf  s 


lu   turur.l  her  si^'litU'SS  eves  s 


till  ti 


lUst 


l''.iiipt'rtii-,  ai\v:iys  iiy  hi  r  sidi 


i,„l.'.'d  a  MatiT 'Dolorosa."  shr  si-hrd,  as  slu'  .•all.'»i 


nl     till' 

,.,,ii'and'a!iimMlii' "n-n  of  hir  dra.l.  until  at  last  the  luuul 
i„",„,,vv  wrot.'  h.r  owu  ■;...,.'  upoii  it.  Four  sons  and  a 
,,,„.h„'r  outliv.'d  this  moth,  r  of  k.-.'-'s.  Caroluu.  and  Liu'i.-n, 
,1,,  a.v  h-li.v.d  tohavi'  AuA.  hi.  Na,.ohoM  aud  ik.'  th.'ir 
,.„,,,  „f  ,,,„,,,.  „f  ,hr  sto.uaeh,  au.l  Joseph  and  Loms  tol- 
I'uvd  h.T  in  the  eourse  of  t.'U  ymrs;  hut  .Jeruiur  lagged  sui.er- 
tluous.  Will  into  tlie  S.'cond  Kmiiire.  . 

|.,.,|,ai.s   Marie   Louis.'\s  rlosin-  years  were   no    ess  tra-u. 
„,„„  I,,,,  „.other-indaw-s,  it  the  story  of  tluui  eould  he  read 
,,„„  ,h.'  eve  of  svnii.athy  rather  than  moeked  hy  a  sense  ol 
,„,    ndii'uious.     Count    Ne.pper-.    dyin-   three    years    hetore 
r\i.dou    the  widow's  u'ri.'f  siTineil  h.-onsolaiile,  althoui:!.  two 
of  their  three  ehildreii  ri'iuaine,!  to  eon.fort  her.     For  severa 
rears  the  Count's  plaee  at   the  head  of  the  dueal   ....verniuent 
;,s  tilled  hv  a  temporary  seloetion.     When   it   heeame  neees- 
s„rv    for    .M"etternieh    to    elioose    a    permanent    sueeessor,    liis 
,,|.^;,,,  r.'ll  upon  Count   Homhelles.  whom  he  deserihed  as      a 
,„au  Mron..-  euou-li    to   intluenee   the   weak  eharaetor   ot    the 
Aivhduehess  .Marie  Louise." 

X'^iin  the  diserimination  of  the  -reat  statesman  was  abun- 
ai'ntU-  verified.  For  F.omhelles.  who  had  been  a  Freneh  emi- 
grant" in  revolutionary  and  Napoleonir  .lays,  and  was  now  a 
xvidower  of  fortv-nino.  was  fairly  dra-'ed  to  the  a  tar  by  the 
„„a„.oured  .Man",.  Louise,  six  months  after  entering,'  her  service 
The  Count  was  amazed  by  the  Duehess  proposal  and  onl> 
„'„yi'd  it   because  it  had  tlu:   force  of  a  eomniand  from  his 

"since  it  is  not  possible  to  make  a  romance  of  Marie  T.ouise's 
lif,.,  ,t  were  well  not  to  dwell  ui^ou  it  lon-er.  ^he  died  at 
l.anaa  in  lur  tifty-seventh  year,  bavin-  survived  the  hrst  ot 

'\ry  thi Ii.isbands  twenty-si\  years. 

Tin'  storv  of  Nai.oleon's  dynastic  ambition  fittinjrly  closes 
:,,  a  uu'laneholy  dusk,  which  wraj.s  with  its  -loom  the  couches 


MICROCOPY    RESOLUTION    TEST    CHART 

ANSI  and  ISO  TEST  CHART  No    2 


1.0 


I.I 


2.5 


IB     IIIII2.2 


2.0 


1.8 


1.25 


1.4 


1.6 


A  APPLIED  irvA^GE     I 

^r-_  '*-''5    Ljit    Main    Sfree? 

~.i=  f^ncnesler.    Ne*   Yo'k         1*609        j'jA 

'- (?'6)    "82  -  0300  -  Phone 


484 


IX  THE  I-uOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLEON 


of  tlio  ill-fated  Ilapsburfrs.  From  a  lonp,  narrow,  bare  1 
bcsick'  till'  Cipucliin  I'liurcli  in  tii<^  mi'lst  of  ''ienna,  a  bl 
eyed,  hlond-bearded  tnonk  in  sandals  leads  tl.e  waitini,' 
^riin  down  a  dark  cellar  stair  to  a  drear  vaulted  chain 
where  Austria's  imperial  dead  for  .'500  year?,  lip  in  s 
pie  bronze  coffins.  Many  of  'hera  are  scattered  about 
floor  as  if  but  pausing  on  their  way  to  the  ^^rave.  Only  li 
and  there  a  monument  rises  dimly  in  the  twiliLrht  specially 
mark  the  restinir  place  of  some  emperor;  but  the  most  e 
sjticuous  tomb  of  all  is  that  of  the  woman  who  proved  hers 
more  of  a  man  than  any  of  her  race.  Maria  Tlieresa. 

Maximilian  is  there  amon^  tiis  kindred,  thanks  to  the  A 
trian  warship  which  l;iy  by  the  .Mexican  shore,  heli)lcs 
waiting;  to  bear  him  liome  when  he  should  have  paid  the  p 
alty  of  his  imperial  dream  at  Queretaro.  So,  too,  are  ' 
Empress  EIi/at)eth,  the  u'uiltless  victim  of  an  a.ssassin,  a 
her  .'^on,  the  Crown  Prince  Rudolph,  enshrouded  in  the  tra 
mystery  of  his  death. 

In  an  elevated  .sarcophagus  sleeps  the  Emperor  Francis,  w 
four  metal  coffins  lyiiiLr  on  the  floor  beside  him.  Those  comp; 
ions  of  the  Em[>eror  are  not,  however,  the  four  wives,  who, 
succession,  shared  his  throne.  At  his  head  and  feet  lie  t 
children,  ami  on  eitlier  side  of  him  Marie  Louise  and  rAiirl 
the  latter  booted  and  spurred,  and  in  his  Austrian  unifoi 

In  death  the  little  ea<:le's  paternity  was  not  disdained 
denied.  The  Ilapsburfrs  were  not  ashamed  to  confess  on 
coffin  plate  that  the  blood  of  Rudolph  and  the  Corsic 
minfrled  in  his  veins,  and  the  inscription  boasts  that  he  v 
Kintj  of  Rome  before  he  was  the  Duke  of  Reichstadt. 
^larie  Louise's  plate  Napoleon  alone  is  acknowled^'cd  amc 
her  husbands,  for  no  other  title  to  remembrance  had  she. 

It  was  not  there  amoni:  the  llapsbursrs  but  amonjj  the  Bo 
bons  that  the  Emperor  meant  his  Empress  and  his  heir 
find  their  sepulture.  Yet  even  at  St.  Denis  they  would  i 
be  in  prouder  or  more  ancient  company  than  beneath  the  ( 
church  in  Vienna.  And  those  (jlory-loviiifj;  Frenchmen  u 
would  brinir  rAif:rlon  back  to  place  him  beside  his  father 
the  Invalides  would  do  better  to  let  him  alone  in  his  captivi 


ON 


)w,  bare  hall 
mna,  a  blur- 

waitiiif,'  pil- 
Itctl  cliaiiilitT 

lie  in  siiii- 
'd  about  tlie 
.  Only  luTu 
t  specially  to 
he  most  con- 
roved  herself 
icri'sa. 

i  to  the  Aus- 
•e,  lieli)l('ssly 
;)aid  tlie  pen- 

too,  are  the 
ussassin,  and 
in  the  tragic 

Piancis,  with 
hose  conipan- 
ives,  ■who,  in 

feet  lie  twn 
iind  rAitrloii. 
ian  uniform, 
disdained  or 
jnfess  on  his 
:he    Corsiean 

that  he  was 
chstadt.  On 
'dtred  among 
lad  she. 
n^  the  Bour- 
1  his  heir  to 
y  would  not 
leath  the  old 
n<'hinen  who 
liis  father  in 
Ids  captivity. 


CHAPTER  LIII 
ACROSS  A  CENTURY 

WHILE  the  body  of  Napoleon  lay  in  .ts  lonely,  un- 
marked -rrave  at  St.  Helena  his  spirit  eon(inered 
p]uroi)e  anew  and  mounted  auain  the  throne  of 
Fiance.  The  peoples  who  had  overtiirown  his  Empire  soon 
i'oiuid  to  their  sorrow  that  they  had  e.xehanired  a  brilliant  for 
ii  stupid  despotism.  The  more  tlu'y  saw  of  the  little  heredi- 
tiiry  tyrants  who  sui)planted  him  the  more  they  lamented  the 
iloAiitall  of  the  <,'reat  tyrant.  The  pled^'es  they  had  received 
lioiii  their  monarehs  in  the  wars  of  liberation  were  ruthlessly 
liroken  and  somethinix  like  a  royalist  rei<rn  of  terror  was  in- 
augurated by  the  Holy  Alliance.  That  federation,  that 
liiitfd  States  of  P^urope,  under  the  presidency  of  the  Em- 
I'.rnr  of  Austria  and  with  :\retternich  for  its  premier,  really 
hname  a  league  against  {lopular  ritrhts  and  progress  every- 
whrre,  and  the  armies  of  the  continent  were  converted  into 
an  international  police  force  for  the  suppression  of  liberty. 
In  his  will  Nai)oleon  had  said,  "It  is  my  wish  that  my 
a^il.  s  may  repose  on  the  banks  of  the  Seine,  amid  the  French 
pHiple  whom  I  loved  so  well."  That  the  body  of  the  exile 
iiii'-'ht  be  rescued  from  alien  soil  and  rest  by  the  Seine  was  a 
frrowinir  national  desire  amonp;  the  French  when,  as  a  last 
ivsiiurce,  the  Orleanist  Kini:,  Louis  Philippe,  resolved  to  brin^ 
if  liark  in  the  hope  that  his  fadins:  crown  mifrht  borrow  some 
-lory  from  the  imperial  dust.  And  Enf^land  bavin?  jxra- 
|■iful•^ly  consented  to  release  her  captive,  the  Kintr  sent  his 
lii'tli.r.  the  Prince  Joinville,  to  St.  Helena  to  escort  the  Em- 
["  I'or  home. 

in  the  Prince's  i)arty  were  Generals  Bertrand  and  Gour- 
'iiiad ;  .Marchand,  the  valet ;  St.  Denis,  and  three  others  of  the 
"!d  servants  at  Longwootl.  With  them  also  was  the  son  of  Las 
•iiMs.  who  was  now  to  revisit  in  manhood  the  sombre  scenes 


486 


IN  THE   FOOTSTKPS  OF  NAPOLEOX 


of  his  boyhood.  Still  anotlirr  mnnlHT  of  the  pil-rimacre 
the  son  of  li.-rtran.i,  who  was  l,oni  in  vxilv.  whoii  his  mo 
boasted  at  lus  hirtli  tliat  sl-r  had  received  one  visitor  witi 
askuii:  peninssiou  of  the  i^ritish  (roveriiin.'iit. 

The  siu'ht  of  th.'ir  prison  house  oidv  de.p.'ii.'d  the  iinplea- 
nicMiorics  it  had  h'tt  witii  the  one-time  prisoners  of  St.  II,.'., 
They  returned  to  Lon-wood  as  to  a  slirine  of  tlieir  hero' 
they  found  that  it  had  r-'V^-rted  to  its  oii-inal  use  and  a'-^ 
become  a  table.  IIo".ses,  <.ows.  and  piirs  had  hern  turned! 
the  Emperor's  study  and  hrdroom  and  in  the  death  ehani 
a  farmer  winnow,  d  liis  i:rain. 

The  ^'rave  of  .Napoleon,  however,  still  was  jriiarded  by 
zealous  captors,  as  if  determined  that  even  his  trhost  should 
escape  them.  Whrn  the  visitors  made  th.'ir  pious  pihn-iin; 
down  nito  (Jcranium  Valley,  thev  found  a  P.ritish  sold 
po.sted  there  on  a  .sentry  duty  that  never  had  been  omiti 
nnrht  or  day  in  the  more  than  nineteen  years  that  the  capt 
hail  slept  beneath  the  willows. 

Reverently  the  bare,  iinin.seribed  irravestones  were  remov 
and  the  coffin  was  lifted  out  of  the  brick  irrave.  When  it  \\ 
opened,  they  who  had  tlioii^dit  to  see  imperial  tVsar  <!.• 
and  turned  to  clay,  drew  back  in  astonishment  and  awe 
siL'ht  of  the  EmpiTor,  with  his  Jovedike  hnnv.  Ivimr  at  cii 
and  lifelike,  in  th.'  L'reen  coat  of  the  .-hasseurs  of  the  (luai 
the  cross  of  the  Lefjrion  >:leamlnir  on  his  breast  with  undiiiui' 
lustre. 

On  a  DecemlKM-  day  in  1840,  Paris  opened  wide  her  gates 
receive  Napoleon,  as  if  he  were  the  still  living  conrpieror  r 
turned  from  a  victorious  eampai-n.  Mounted  ui)on  a  state 
funeral  cai-  and  escortinl  by  the  aued  veteran.s  of  the  01 
(Juard.  his  body  was  borne  in  triumph  under  his  Arch  of  tt 
Star  and  down  the  Champs  Elysees.  across  the  Place  de  1 
Concorde  and  over  th.-  Seine  to  the   Hotel  des  Invalides. 

Beneath  th.'  trilded  dome  of  the  Invalides.  the  Kim:'  and  tli 
royal  family,  ii;  full  court  splendour,  awaited  the  arrival  c 
the  heroic  dead.  The  hush  was  broken  at  last  by  a  eliaiiiboi 
Iain  who  dram/itieally  i-ntered  and  thrilled  the  "distinuniislie 
assembla-e  with   the  announcement.  "  L'Empereur !" 


<:o\ 


ACROSS  A  ('KNTUKY 


487 


ili:rriniatro  w.is 
I'll  his  motliir 
isitor  witluiut 

lie  unpleasaiil 
if  St.  Ilfli'iia, 
it'ir  hero,  hut 
isf  and  aiTiiin 
11  turned  iiitii 
L'ath  c-haiiibrr 

ardt'd  by  lus 
ist  should  not 
IS  piltrriniiuv 
•itish  soldiiT 
been  oniittrd 
t  the  eaptivi' 

■ere  removed 

When  it  was 

Ca'sar  dead 

and  awe  at 

yinrr  at  ease 

the  (luard. 

h  undimui'd 

lier  gates  to 
)n(|ueror  n'- 
on  a  stately 
of  the  Old 
Arch  of  the 
Plaee  de  la 
valides. 
iim'  and  tln' 
'  arrival  ef 
a  ehaniher- 
stiniruishfd 
r!" 


fiistaiitly    inotuir(di    and    prinecs,    Lren^rals,   statesmen    and 

iMirlirrs  rose  to  their  fict;  but  one  aiiioiiL'  them  t'cchly  sank 
into  liis  (diair  a^'ain  beiu'at;.  the  weiirht  of  his  nearly  ninety 

'  ;irs.     'I'his  was  Monccy,  Liovcrnor  of  the  Invalidcs,  wlio  was 
'    last  marshal  of  the  Empire  to  urive  uj)  tlie  delVnee  of  tlie 

■  I'ltal  wiicn  the  AllifS  suru'ed  airainst  its  walls  in  LS14. 
And  now  when  no  drop  of  Honaparte  blood  courses  beneath 

I  ridwii,  the  Hmperor  still  is  enthroned  there  under  the  ■.'olden 
dune  (d'  the  Invalides.  That  vast  siddiers'  home  has  lost  the 
purpose  to  whi(di  Louis  XIV  dedicated  it  when  he  opened  it 
to  tlie  wrecks  of  his  battb^s.  It  has  become  instead  a  irreat 
sliriiie  of  war,  whose  chief  deity  is  the  martial  Emperor  of  the 
Fi'rindi. 

The  matrnificent  tomb  is  in  one  of  the  two  cdiapels  of  the 
iiiiniense  pile,  wdiieh  is  mainly  u'iven  over  to  the  e.xliibition 
lijills  of  a  museum,  crowded  with  the  jumbled  relics  of  a^res 
Hi  warfare.  Always  the  visitors  to  the  museum  throng 
thi  kist  about  some  X;  poleonic  souvenir:  the  rude  funeral  ear 
uhhdi  bore  him  to  his  St.  Helena  oi-;,ve,  a  uift  from  (^ueen 
Vhtoria:  a  simple  wooden  settee,  wdii(di  was  the  favourite 
^'  ;'  n\'  ilie  throihdess  monandi  in  his  exile;  the  walking-  stick 
uiiirli  supjjoiled  him  who  once  had  carried  the  weiiilit  of  em- 
1  ire  on  his  shoulders:  the  rough,  frightfully  rough,  draft  of 
!n  ;ippeal  to  the  Prince  Regent  before  going  aboard  the 
I''  i'<  riip/ioii.  and  other  of  his  unde(dplierable  seraw'ings;  the 

'litiiiu'  table  upon  which  he  pouretl  (Mit  his  dreams  while  a 
1  iiiLiiy  lieutenant  at  Auxonne;  his  camp  bed,  camp  desk  and 
';iiii;i  bookcase  and  the  wdiip  and  sword  and  gun  of  the  King 
'1  ieimo.  But  the  grey  overcoat,  the  green  undercoat,  the 
V iiiie  bree(dies  and  the  black  chapeau  of  the  conqueror  draw 
ih"  iiii'ious  closest  and  hold  them  longest. 

Ill  the  chapel  of  St.  Louis  a  silvery  bell  tinkles  the  half 
hours  amonir  the  tombs  in  the  Aisle  of  the  Brave,  where  the 
Mihliers  of  France  sleep  in  a  timeless  eternity.  There  lie  Mar- 
-■iiiils    Bessiercs,    ]\loncey,    Serurier,    Oudinot    and    Jourdan. 

I  lute  also  is  the  heart  of  Kleber,  which  the  unerring  knife 
"f  an  Eiryptian  assa.ssin  found,  and  so,  too.  is  the  heart  of 
that  first  grenadier  of  France,  La  Tour  d'Auvergne. 


488 


IN  TlIK  FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLEON 


It  is  stranp:e  that  of  Xapoloon's  twonty-six  marshals  ( 
three,  Laniics,  Hcs-sieres,  ami  Poiiiatowski,  should  have  ni 
soldier's  deatli  and  that  all  hut  eiiiht  should  have  died  in  t 
heds.  Four  wci'e  killed  in  the  pii'iod  of  llieir  master's  do 
fall,  Ney  l)y  the  Hourltons,  .Murat  by  the  Neapolitaiis,  Br 
by  a  mob  and  Hei'thier  by  falling'  from  his  window,  w 
^lortier  was  struek  down  by  a  bomb  thrown  at  King  L 
Philippe  in  ISiJa. 

Massena,  Auirureau,  IVrignoii,  Kellerman  and  Lefebre 
not  lon^r  survive  the  Emi)ire,  and  died  before  Napoleon, 
tliirteen,  or   preeisely  one-half  of  the   marshals  outlived 
Emperor,    and    (Irouehy,    Victor,    Oudiiiot,    Marmont,    So 
^loueey  and   Hernadotte  were  still   living  when  his  rem£ 
were  broufrht  baek  from  St.  Ileh-na. 

The  Chape]  of  the  Dome,  in  whieh  Napoh'on  lies,  was  erco 
by  the  (Jrand  Monanpie  as  tlie  Koyal  Church  in  the  Invali( 
150  years  before  the  usurper  of  tiie  Bourbon  throne  foi 
his  >:rave  in  front  of  its  high  altar.  It  was  the  1 
peror  himself  who  converted  it  to  a  mortuary  purp( 
when  he  hrou<_'ht  to  the  chapel  the  body  of  Turenne  and 
heart  of  \'aut)an,  those  two  marshals  of  Louis  XIV,  and  gi 
them  sepidture  there. 

The  lofty  wooden  dome,  with  its  now  neglected  and  shat 
gilding,  rests  like  a  gigantic  helmet  on  the  tomb  of  Napolc 
which  sits  Ix'iieath  the  very  cupola  and  in  an  open  circu 
crypt,  twenty  feet  below  the  floor  of  the  church.  As  it 
armour  liim  against  invaders  of  his  (piiet  realm,  he  lies  in 
less  than  six  coflins  of  oak,  mahogany,  ebony,  lead,  and  t 
which  in  turn  are  guartled  within  a  massive  fortress  in 
form  of  an  imposing  sarcophagus,  standing  nearly  fifteen  f 
high. 

The  rare  red  porphyry  of  the  sarcophagus  came  from  t! 
Finland,  which,  at  Tilsit,  Napoleon  permitted  Russia  to  ti 
from  Sweden.  The  Czar  Nicholas  I  cheerfully  consented 
the  quarrying  of  it  with  the  remark  that  since  Russia  1 
overthrown  him,  it  was  only  fair  that  she  should  entomb  h 
But  the  son  of  the  blue  sea  is  shielded  from  those  alien  stoi 
cut  on  the  fro/en  shores  of  the  White  Sea,  i)v  a  lining  of  ' 


:ox 


narslials  only 
(1  liavp  rni't  a 
(lii'd  in  tlicir 
aster's  dowii- 
litaiis,  Bniiic 
iiulow,  while 
t  Kin^  Louis 

i  Lefebre  did 
ipoleon.     I3iit 

outliv(>d  till' 
•iiiont,    Soult. 

his  remains 

3,  was  erei'ted 
:he  Iiivalidfs, 
throne  i'ouinl 
as  the  Eni- 
iry  piiriiosi'. 
L'nne  and  the 
IV,  and  L'avc 

1  and  shabby 
of  NapoU-oii. 
)pen  circular 
■li.  As  it  to 
he  lies  in  no 
■ad.  and  tin. 
rtress  in  the 
y  fifteen  fert 

nc  from  that 
nssia  to  take 
consented  to 
'  Russia  had 
entomb  bin'- 
?  alien  stones 
lining  of  the 


ACROSS  A  CKXTrRY 


489 


w  iiin-lintcd  L'raiiito  of  his  own  native  Corsiea,  while  the  base 
"f  all  is  a  block  of  that  jxrccii  granite  with  which  nature  has 
f'litijicd  the  (Jaul  aj^'ainst  the  Teuton  in  the  mountains  of 
\  <)>l;cs. 

i-ike  sentinels  about  tl;e  tomb  stand  twelve  colossal  Vic- 
tories in  Carrara  marble.  Kven  as  the  Kmpire  made  the  fatal 
mistake  of  exaltin;;  force  above  justii-e,  so  Nupoli'on 's  vic- 
tdi'ics  of  peace  are  celebrated  in  the  dim  shadows  behimi  his 
victories  of  war,  where  in  has  relief  on  the  wall  of  the  crypt 
aiv  carved  syrr'bolical  representations  of  his  undisputed  tith's 
to  the  eratitude  of  posterity — the  Code  Napoleon;  the  execu- 
tiuii  of  Hi'eat  i)ublie  works;  the  foundinj,'  of  the  I'niversity  of 
I'lMoec;  the  estal)lishment  of  the  Lcirion  of  Honour;  the  pro- 
tertion  of  commeree  and  industry;  the  n-prulation  of  the  jjulilie 
tiiiaiices;  tile  Concordat;  the  creation  of  the  council  of  state; 
the  reform  of  the  civil  administration  and  the  restoration  of 
['iililie  order. 

Only  four  persona!.'es  of  the  I^npire  were  specially  chosen 
to  be  their  Emperor's  attendants  in  death.  II is  brothers, 
■b.seph  and.  .Jerome,  liav  their  tombs  in  ehajiels  on  either 
side  of  the  t'litrance  to  the  church,  while  downstairs  on  either 
side  of  the  bronze  doors  of  the  crypt  the  bodie.s  of  two  of  his 
most  devoted  followers  are  entombed  in  the  walls.  One  of 
these  is  Bertrand,  who  followed  him  in  his  two  exiles  and  to 
his  two  praves.  The  other  is  Duroe,  who  followed  him  in 
I'eace  and  war  until  he  fell  by  his  side  in  the  Saxon  campaign 
<ii  l.Sl:},  when  the  Emperor  in  Ids  bitter  contempt  for  the  in- 
erntitude  of  man,  praised  his  fallen  servitor  for  having  the 
f.'iitlifidness  and  affection  of  a  dog.  Like  a  dog,  then  let  it 
h".  the  grand  marshal  of  the  palace  still  keeps  watch  at  the 
door  while  the  master  rests  in  untroubled  sleep. 

Xothing  in  the  Invalides  better  emphasises  its  monumental 
L'raiideur  than  three  slabs  of  stone  in  one  of  the  small  rooms 
otl  the  church.  They  are  the  uncarved  covering  of  the  un- 
marked grave  beneath  the  willows  at  St.  Helena.  Yet  this 
t-'rave  at  the  Invalides,  too,  has  been  left  nameless.  After  all, 
whether  with  sword  or  pen,  with  axe  or  scythe,  a  man  cuts  his 
'iwn  epitaph. 


490 


JN  THE  FUUTSTEl'S  UF  NAl'OLKoN 


Fnllowitiu'  Sedan  thoro  was  a  violent  react  ion  from  the 
poleonie  idolatry  of  the  Second  Empire.  Scepticism  and 
demnation  .swiftly  ran  to  an  extreme  as  j^reat  as  the  li 
crcdniity  of  the  idol  \\orshii)pers.  The  Napoleonic  leirend 
furiously  torn  to  tatters  nnd  its  icntral  tii^ure  was  transfori 
from  a  mytholoLrical  deity  into  the  seape'_'oat  of  modern  tir 
from  an  impossihle  demiL'od  hi'  was  distorted  into  an  iin 
sihle  demon. 

Time  has  checked  that  reaction  and  softened  the  rai,'c  of 
iconoclasts,  who  no  sooner  overcame  the  hase  jiahit  of  lool- 
up  to  Xa[)oleon  than  they  fell  into  the  opposite  hascnos^ 
flatterint,'  themselves  hy  looking  down  on  him.  It  is  diftji 
to  take  a  horizontal  view  of  one  whose  life  and  chai'ai 
touched  heijjhts  so  lofty  ami  sonndcd  depths  so  alnsmal. 
the  world  increases  in  understandini;.  men  will  he  cnahlcc 
h-ok  a  Napoleon  in  the  eye  and  view  him  on  a  level  with  tli 
selves,  when,  periiaps,  he  will  lose  their  awe  hut  <:aiii  tl 
charity.  As  history  i;i'ows  democratic,  it  will  hecome  iii 
and  more  like  nature  ln'r.self,  cai'eless  of  the  single  life  ; 
careful  of  the  ty|)c.  We  ai'e  now  too  prone  to  inairinfy  a  ii 
and  to  minify  mankind,  to  for<,'et  that  no  one  stantis — or  f 
— alone,  and  that  not  merely  .some  men  hut  that  all  men 
creatures  of  circumstances. 

We  have  seen  Napoleon  at  twenty-four,  a  drifting,  uiu 
bitious  man,  ajjparently  of  the  common  moukl ;  mediocre 
school;  an  indifferent  soldier;  unkempt  and  awkward  in 
salon,  emittinj,'  not  a  flash  of  that  u'enius  which  he  was  so  s( 
and  suddeidy  to  radiate  before  a  dazzled  world.  We  have  s( 
him  unstirred  hy  the  (ireat  Revolution,  when  it  had  been  r 
iim-  about  his  head  for  a  half  dozen  years;  and  deaf  to 
loud  knockinL's  of  opportunity,  which  had  aroused  .so  ma 
of  his  comrades.  We  iiave  seen  him  shunning  military  se 
ice,  running'  away  from  France  and  tryin<,'  all  the  while 
stay  in  his  native  island.  We  have  sc;'n  him  aimlessly  loit 
ing  in  the  streets  of  I'aris,  where,  like  a  juror  at  a  eorone 
iii(|Uest,  he  was  suddenly  called  out  of  the  crowd. 

Surely  oOn.  maybe  1000,  army  officers  h.ad  more  e.xpcrici 
and  reputation  than  he  when  he  was  j)laeed  on  horseback. 


:().Nj 


ACIiUSS  A  CEXTrUY 


491 


from  tlic  Xa. 

•ism  and  cou- 

as   till'  hliini 

li<'    l("_'fll(|    WilS 
S   tlMlisfofllllil 

iiodci'ii  tiiiiis . 
ito  an  iiiipds 

ic  ra<X('  of  I  lie 
lit  of  lookiiiir 
I'  liasciii'ss  111' 
It  is  (lit'licult 
11(1  cliai'actcr 
iih\smal.  As 
be  eiiabh'd  to 
el  with  tlicMi- 
it  ^'aiii  tlirir 
lifCOlllr  iiiorr 
riirlf  life  ami 
iiniify  a  man 
lids — or  falls 
;  all  iiifii  ai'i' 

fting,  11  Ham- 
med iocrc  in 
iward  ill  the 
s  was  so  soon 
^Vc  have  sirn 
ad  been  rag- 
deaf  to  tllP 
sed  so  many 
lilitary  serv- 
tlie  wiiilc  to 
ilessly  loiter- 
t  a  eoroiur's 
:1. 

'e  experieiire 
rsebaek.     lie 


•A.is  nobody,  not  rvm  a  Fniirhm.in  ;  Init  authority  and  h'lw, 
rank,  wealth,  and  seniority  had  all  been  swept  away  in  the 
K'  \olution  and  tiie  wiidie  stnieture  of  society  was  turned  iip- 
M  ie  down.  Tile  slate  had  been  w  ijied  clean  when  the  miLrhtv 
Mirial  forces,  ciamourinL'  for  an  au'ciit,  seized  on  this  cli,.nce 
fia^-'r-liy  and   tlodded   him   with   their  overwIielmiiiLr   etieru'v. 

'   Tliollsands    of    a'jes    will    elapse    bel'.-re    the    cireumstaiK'eS    ar- 

riiiiuilated  in  my  case  draw  forth  anothei-  fiom  aiiioiiL;  the 
liiiWil  to  reproduce  the  same  speetaele,"  Na|iole(in  hi.liself 
>aiil,  at  St.  Helena. 

"The  moment  tiie  boy  put  on  a  p'liefars  hat,  he  seemed  to 
lia\e  erowii  two  feet."  s-aid  Masseiui.  The  shiftless,  dawdling,' 
I'lirsiean  tiew  above  the  Alps,  lie  leaped  the  Mediterranean, 
lb'  (lashed  across  the  desei't.  lie  threw  himself  a^rainst  the 
L'a'e  of  the  Orient,  and  its  hinucs.  rusted  by  ."»()()  years  of  dis- 
use, wci'e  shattere(l.  lie  smote  slotiiful  Europe,  and  its 
Mi.'li:e\al  systems  crumbled  to  dust. 

lie  infused  armies,  lawyers,  artists,  builders  with  the  elec- 
tiii'  fdice  of  the  Revolution,  and  at  his  command,  codes  were 
fill  Ululated,  arches  and  brid^^es  were  built,  roads  were  made 
ainl  eanals  Were  dm,'. 

His  \dunt^  head  un-ew  dizzy  as  he  tread  the  peaks  of  ^'reat- 
iM  >'^.  '"1  saw  the  woi'Id  s[)innin^'  beneath  me,  as  if  I  were 
ill  in-  carried  throuLrh  the  air."'  The  ruler  of  Italy  at  twenty- 
six  .  the  despot  of  Kfiyjit  at  twenty-eiirht ;  the  dictator  of 
Fraiice  at  thirty;  the  master  of  Kiirope  at  thirty-two,  his 
.vdutli  was  a  ui'levous  misfortune.  The  constitution  of  the 
I  nitid  States  bars  men  even  from  the  senate  until  the;,  are 
thirty,  and  from  the  presidency  until  th(\v  are  thirt.v-five. 
Casar  was  forty  when  he  really  be<_ran  his  career.  This  man 
li<id  rUii  hi.s  course  before  mo.st  rulers  Lrain  supreme  jiower. 

The  politicians  of  Europe,  naturally  enoueh,  thout:lit  his 
I'OAer  came  from  himstdf.  "The  world  invited  me  to  <rovern 
it,  Snverei'.ins  and  subjects  vied  with  one  another  in  hasteii- 
inL!   Iieiieatli   my  sceptre." 

Inevitably  he  came  to  share  the  eciieral  belief  tliat  he  was 
the  source  and  not  merely  the  medium  of  the  mii:lit  with 
whicli  he  was  invested.     He  th(iii<,dit  he  must  be  the  favourite 


|.,2  Is'  TIIK   !•"()(  »'rsTi:i'S  dl'  NAI'OLKOX 

(if  rnrlniic.  ]\r  uii^  tin'  clul.l  of  destiny.  A  In.'lv.v  stiir  mill 
have  simih'  ;il  Ins  lii-lh.  Assiimiii'j  lliat  lu'  tiiiist  linVf  ht-ei 
horn  to  riili'.  Iir  crouiicl  liimsilf.  I'.ilir\  iti'^  tli;it  liis  oinnir 
oti'Ucr  iiiii^t  I"-  in  lii>  lilooil,  he  rrowin'il  liis  hrotlii  Ts  iiii-l  si* 
fcrs,  iind  <li\oivrii  liis  wif.-  lli;it  lir  iiii-lit  surely  traiisiiiil  tli 
(li\  iih'  s|iiit'k. 

lie    I'ollllil    llillisrlf    tllr   SU  pmuil  II,   Srt    illiovr    lllui    Jlpiirf    fmr 

liis  kiiiil.  iiihl  roiiiiriiiurd  to  sdlitiiry  iiiijii-isoi.inriit  in  ;i  spier 
(lid  hut  |dti;iiile  isoliitioii.  His  faiiatieid  eL'otlieisin,  Ids  sel: 
\V(ii-sidp  repelled  Ills  uives,  his  hrothers,  his  sisters,  Ins  as.s( 
eiates.  whom  lie  l(iiide(i  with  coronets  and  domains  witlioi: 
makin'j  a  fnend  aiiioni.'  them  all.  Awe,  di'eud  and  envy  ci: 
him  otV  from  the  alVeetions  of  me  i  and  women  and  lei 
luiu  tilled  with  the  hitterness  of  Uyroii's  cynical  lines: 

III      will"    ■illlpM^^evi    (ir     >\lliiilli  •<    IIliinlsiTlil 
.\lll>t    Ini.k    (l.)Un    nil    tlle    lllltc    ef    tllHM-    l..Iu\V. 

He  despised   men   and  e|iallenLre(l   the   impossihie.     "I  inJ 
lind    the    pillars  of    Ihrcules   in    Spain,"   he  lioasted.   "■hut 
shall   not  lind  the  limits  of  my  jiowcr." 

Hut  he  had  struck  down  the  Kevolutiou,  silenced  the  peop 
and  eliained  the  forces  thai  had  tilled  him  with  the  strcnirth  i 
a  Colossus,  lie  was  still  horiic  on,  it  is  true,  hut  only  li.v  tl 
oriirinal  momentum.  Where  once  he  had  won  campai'-'iis  wil 
.')(),()()()  and  till. HI  1(1  I'epuhlicans,  he  now  led  (;tHl,(l()()  impi'rialis 
to  disaster.  .\t  last  no  military  ^'cnius  was  reipiired  to  ovf 
throw  him.  either  at  i,cipsic  or  at  tlie  <_'ates  of  Paris.  Wt 
linu'ton  only  stood  still  at  Waterloo  while  tlie  irroa tost  soldi 
of  the  a'_'e  >|ienf   himself. 

Nevertheless,  France  broutrht  him  hack  from  tho  pravc  aft 
a  (juarter  of  a  century  and  stirred  his  ashes  in  tlio  vain  ho] 
that  she  mi'jht  lind  a  live  cinder  wherewith  to  kindh'  h 
elory  anew.  She  transfused  his  livinu'  hlood  from  the  vei 
of  Napoleon  111  into  the  aiacmic  hody  politic,  but  oidy  to  ci 
lai'se  at  Se(lan.  Then  at  last  she  turned  from  the  tomb, 
diseover  in  the  red  blood  of  her  peoi)le  the  true  source  of  h 
power,  as  it  had  been  of  Napoloon's. 

But  the  exile  has  his  wish.     Ills  aslies  repose  on  the  ban 


\ 

\'  stiir  must 

ll.lSf     llrill 

liis  ()iiiMi|i- 
■fs  iiii'l  sis- 
r'uiiMiiiit  till' 

apart  IVdiii 
in  a  spli'ii- 
III.  Ills  mIi- 
"s,  his  iiNM.i- 
itis  willidUt 
1(1  fiivy  cut 
M  ami  left 
lies : 


0.     "I  niiiy 
:•'(!,  '■liui   I 

i    the    prO[iir 

stiTH'-nh  nt' 
(inly  !'>■  till' 
paii-'iis  with 
iiMpi'i'ialist< 
red  to  DViT- 
>aris.  W.I- 
atost  solilitT 

'  prave  aft'T 

10  vain  hope 
kindle  liiT 

rn  the  veins 
only  to  I'ol- 
hf  tomb,  to 

ource  of  her 

111  the  banks 


ACROSS  A  CKNTUltV 


4i);J 


(,f  thp  Seine,  where  tiie  .  arthhiinu'ry  rntxiuernr  who  t.lt  Inm- 
M.lf  pent  and  stithd  uilh.n  th-  wide  hoimdan.s  ot  KiinMu' 
,v,ts  in  thr   narrow   .  iiipnv  ..I   the  Rrave— 6»/jxi:{  te-t. 

rh,.,v.  faem-  thr  all.ir  of  Hie  Kin-  of  Kin-s  and  ol  tlnit 
,„|ier  v.etor  of  Mt.  Talior  uiio-'  mvineiiile  su,,rd.  iiowev,r. 
is  not  of  the   flesh   and   whose  ,A  .rlast  He.'    Kiiudoiii    i.   nnt   ol 

this  world,   he   is  .■nthron-d    uiih   the   vain,   al >t    thcatrieal 

pomp  and  sidendour  of  ids  hrief  iiiiperial  days.      Kuv  alter 
mK.ns  a  w,.k  he  holds   his  crowded  court,  witli  all  the   races 
of  men  for  his  courtiers.     While  they   han  and   innv  on  the 
marble  lialustrade.  ),M/inu  down  u|.on  his  ina.iesiie  toiiiii.  the 
slantin.^  ravs  of  the  sun,  transmuted   into   piiiv   -old   1'.^    the 

staincf-lass  wii ws  of   the  Chapel   of   the    Douic   h-ht    u]. 

Ills  violet  red  throne  with  a  -lory  not  of  uar  nor  ol  earth. 

Spite  of  all   etVorts  to  banish   him    from   iiienmry   and   e,ui 
siL'ii  iiim  to  an  eternal  exile,  ibis  man  ulio  was  picked  out  ot 
the  street   to  emiiodv  common   m- n,  to  be  anointcil,  crowned, 
sceptred.   em|.ur|iled    and    enthroned    aliove    the    monarchs  ol 
i-.,i-  descent;  this  son  of  the  peoi>le  who  made  a   mockery  ot 
•;.■  divinitv  ..f  kin-s  and   the  sacivdness  of  ancient   systems 
and  ciisidins,   never  has  lost   his  dominion  over  the  ima-ma- 
ti(in  of  men.      His  latest  bildio-raphy,  eompiled  l>y  a  (iennaii, 
contains  the  titles  of  no  less  than  S(),(IO(l  books  that  have  been 
printed  about  him.      In  the  eatah)-ut>  of  the  British  Museum, 
he  distanees  everv  other  man  of  aetion,  only  desus  and  Shakes- 
pcre  receiving  more  space  on  the  shelves  of  that  -reat  library. 
II.    remains  supreme   in   the  admiration   and   the  disapi)Oint- 
'  .ii;,  in  tlie  applause  and  the  reproai  li  of  men: 
Tlie  !-'lery,  jest  and   riddle  (if  the  world. 

Had  he  not  lost  bis  toueb  with  the  pi'ople  be  would  rule  the 
L'lobe  from  his  irrave.  Ihnl  be  kept  bis  faee  to  the  future  and 
ii.if  turned  it  to  the  past,  the  earth  woubl  be  his  empire  and 
•h.  liuimin  race  his  subjeets.  Had  be  only  seen  and  welcomed 
!h.  dawniiiL'  of  this  au'e  of  demoeraey.  he  would  be  its  prophet, 
ai:d  the  Invalides  would  be  more  than  a  brilliant  sjieetacle; 
i!  would  be  the  shrine  of  mankind. 


CHROXOLOGY  OF  XAPOLEOX 


17U9 
An!r\ist  1').  Napdifon  Bonaparte  bm-n  at  Ajaocio. 

1778 
l)iii'iiiber  15.  went  to  Franct. 

1770 
Marcli  l"),  entetvu  school  at  Brienne. 

17S4 
OcIoIat  ;51.  onterud  Ecole  Militaire  at  Paris. 

178.') 
S(|itenibor    '28,    graduated— October   iJO,    joinod    iiis    re-riment    at 

Valence. 

1788 

June  15.  joined  bis  re^ment  at  Auxonnc. 

1701 
June  1,  promoted  to  tirst  lieutenant  and  returned  to  Valence. 

1792 

Februaiy  6,  dropped  from  the  French  army— March  31.  elected 
lientenanl-coionel  Corsican  national  .miard— July  10,  restored  to  the 
Frencli  army— Aupiist  30.  appointed  captain. 

1703 
June  10,  banished  from  Corsica— October  18.  chief  of  battalion  at 
sic-e  of  Toulon— December  10.  fall  of  Toulon— December  22,  Napo- 
Iwin  brigadier  general  of  ailillery. 

1704 

August  12.  arrested— An Liust  20.  released. 

1 705 
M.nch  11,  sailed  on  Corsican  expedilion— May  2,  ordered  to  Army 
-I   the  West— September  15,  ordered  to  Turkey;  drc  ^  ,hh1   from  list 
-1  'jcnerals— October  5.  sui)pressed  revolt  in  streets  of  Paris — Octo- 
Ihi-  111.  iienerat- in-chief  of  the  Army  of  the  Interior. 

VfJ 


^1 


41t6 


IX  Tin:  FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLEON 


179G 
March  2,  -cneral-in-clnpf  of  the  Army  of  Italy— March  0,  marrif 
.l.ixphiiic  HiMuhariuiis— April  i),  jniiiwl  army  at  Savoiia— April  1 
ililVatcil  Austrians  at  Mniitcnotte— Apiil  l.'i.  dftVated  Sardinians  i 
_Mil|(.sinio— April  U,  -cparatcil  Sardinians  and  Anstrians— April  1 
drfcat.MJ  Austrians  at  Dcuu—April  l^'J,  detVated  Sardinians  at  Mo: 
,l,,vi— April  '-N,  made  peace  with  Sanlinia— May  10.  won  Baltlu  i 

L,„li Inly.   I'nnndcd  Cisalpiiic  and  Trans]iaihine  republics— A iil'u 

■.],  won  Battle  i>\'  l.<.natii— Amrust  •').  Castidione— September  o.  R 
vei-iido— Sei>leniber  S.  Bassano— Xi'Veml)er  12,  defeated  at  Cahhe 
—November  15.  1(J,  17,  won  Battle  of  xVrctde. 

17(t7 

.Januaiy  14,  won  F,attle  of  Hivnli — Taiuiaty  Iti,  La  Favorita— Fe 
man-  .'i,  captui-ed  Mantua — ?klarch  24,  won  l^attle  of  T:  rvis— Mar 
2n,  ca]iturcd  Klauvntuii— April  IS.  arranged  armistice  with  Austr 
;,t  Leuben— May.  fnund(  d  I.i'^nrian  and  N'enctian  rc|>id)lics— Od 
ber,  united  Transi>adane  with  Cisalpine  republic — October  17,  ma 
Peace  of  Campo  Formio — December  .'),  returned  to  Paris. 

17!IS 

.May  in.  sailed  for  E^iypt — June  11,  captured  Malta— July  2,  en 
turedAlexandria— .Inly  21.  won  Battle  <d'  the  Pyramids— Auu-iist 
lost  his  tieet  at  Battle"  of  the  Nile— Sc].tember  11,  Turkey  deolai 
war  a.irainst  him— ()ctol)i'r  21,  Cairn  revolted  airainst  him. 

17!  to 
February  10,  beiran  his  Syrian  canipaipi— March  7.  captured  .la 
—March  17.  lie-an  sieue  of  Acre— April  l(i.  won  Battle  of  Mt.  Tal 
—May  17.  retreati'il  from  Acre — Tune  14.  returned  to  Cairo — b 
2.'),  won  Battle  of  Abonkir— Au-ust  2:<.  took  lli.trht  for  France— ( 
tober  !),  lande.l  in  France— November  10,  at  the  head  of  a  p 
visional  L'overnment   in   France— December  2'>,  First  Consul  for 

years. 

ISOO 

.January-,  rcoffranised  tlie  judician-  and  the  frovemment.  reforr 
tax  system  and  established  Bank  of  France— May  14,  beu'an 
mnrcli  ov.^r  tlie  Alps — lune  14.  won  Battle  of  Maren^'o — Septem 
:iO.  made  a  treaty  with  the  United  States— October  1,  secretly  p 
chased  Louisiana  from  Si)ain— December  22,  Morcau  defeated  A 
trians    at     Ilohenlindeii— Decend)er    24.    Napoleon    escaped    infei 

hiaciiUiO. 


^h  0,  married 
:a— April  VI, 
Sardinians  at 
IS — April  ll. 
ians  at  Mnn- 
•iin  Baltlii  (if 
)lies — AnL'u^t 
ember  •"),  Ho- 
\  at  (.'aidiero 


ivorita — Fih- 
;  rvis — Mil  fell 
witli  Austria 
lublies — ()(to- 
ihcr  17,  niailr 
ris. 

—July  2.  oap- 
Is— Auirnst  1. 
rkey  declared 
lim. 

■aptured  Jaffa 
.  of  Mt.  Tabfir 
~i  ('aim — July 
"  France — He- 
ad of  a  pro- 
'onsal  for  ten 


lent,  reformed 
14.  heu'an  lii^ 
;■(, — September 
.  secretly  p"i'- 
defeated  Au~- 
■aped    iiit'citKV 


CHRONOLOaV  OF  XAI'OLEON 


isoi 
!i  Austria  at  Ltin-ville — Jnne 


497 


the 

led    the    C'oli- 


IVliniary-  D,  made  peace  wit 
Fivnch   siiiTendered    Cairn — luly    \''.    Xai"'le"ii   -•onrliK 
n.nlat— '  >ctober  1,  sent  cxiieditioii   to  cUKiiier  Sante   Duminuo. 

IStti 

March  '27,  made  peace  with  Eimland  at  Amicus— Anu'iist  1,  First 
iMiisiil  for  life. 

iS(»;i 

March  n.  decreed  the  Code  Naixdeon— May  21.  ratified  sale  of 
l,.';i>iana  to  the  United  States  the  day  war  with  England  beizan— 
.!;•.■  2'.K  pitched  his  cain[)  at  Bnulotine— Aiiuust  23,  royalist  assassins 
funded  in  France. 

1S04 
M;nch  24.  Duke  d'Endiien  slicit— :March  2.").  electoral  colleges  in- 
;ir,l  Xapolemi  to  found  a  dynasty— May  1^.  the  senate  ])niclaimed 
:-;;    I'.iiipenir  of  the    Freiudi — Xnvfinher  30,   ivli-i<nis   marriaue   to 
.Ii -.i|>iiine — December  2.  crowned. 

ISO.) 
May  2(i.  crowned  Kinu'  of  Italy— An';-ii>t  2!t.  broke  camji  at  Bott- 
in^qie"  and  abandoned  invasinn  of  Fn-land— Sei>tember  2').  Grand 
Army  crossed  the  Hliine— <  >ctcd)er  20.  cajitui'ed  Flm— (October  21, 
Hattie  of  Trafalgar— Novenil)er  l:i,  Napoleon  entered  \'ienna— De- 
cember 2.  won  Battle  of  Aii>Ifrlit/',— December  2(i.  Peace  of  Press- 
burjr;  Napoleon  promoted  the  Elector  of  Bavaria  to  be  Km,ii-. 

1S0() 
•lamiaiy  1,  promoted  the  F.'"-^or  of  WiirteiTiber^j-  to  be  Kin?— 
F.binary"  IS,  made  Jose])li  Bonaparte.  Kini:  of  Naples — Tune  (i. 
Lmi-  Bonaparte.  Kinu'  "f  Ibdhmd — Inly  12.  tori 1  the  Confed- 
eration of  the  Rhine— (^ct(dier  14.  overwlielmed  Prussians  and  Sax- 
ims  at  Jena  and  Auerstiidt— October  2S.  entered  Berlin— November 
21.  issued  Berlin  Decree— December  11,  promoted  the  Elector  of 
Saxony  to  be  Kir.ir. 

1S07 
Irlu-uaiy  7-S.  Battle  of  Eylau— May  4.  death  of  Nai>oleon's  fa- 
\nuntc  nei)he\v  and  pr<d)al)le  heir — luiU'  14.  NapiJeon  won  Battle  ol' 
Fii'dlanil — Inly  7-i».  Peace  of  Tilsit— November  IS.  Na])oleon  made 
•I'!  i^f  Bouaiuirte.  Km-  of  Westidmlia— December  17.  i.-sued  Milan 
iii'i  lee. 

1808 


H 


Ii 


ii 


M: 


2.   Siianish   Revolution  be-an— June  (i.   Napideon   made  Jo- 


498 


IN  THE  FOOTSTEPS  OF  NAPOLEON 


j-cjli  r>iiiin]i;n't('.  Kiiit;-  nf  S]iaiii — July  1!',  Frnieli  nruiy  in  S 
surreinlciTil  at  I^>aylt'n  — July  iM.  Frctu-li  army  in  l*iirtiii:ai  det'e 
by  Wt'lU-ik-y — Inly  iN,  Kni'^-  .Inscpli  llcil  fnun  Madrid — Auini: 
Nnpolodii  made  Miiiat.  Kiiiu'  nf  N'apli's — St'ptiMnber  'J7,  met 
(_'zar  at  Erfurt  —  Uuci-'iiiber  4.  ontcrcd  Madrid. 

ISOO 
April  1.').  ojieni'd  caiiipaiirn  auainst  Austria — May  12,  enteri'd 
(■una — May  17.  antuxcd  Homo — May  2(I-LI1.  dttcatcd  at  Asperii- 
liiiii' — .July  (i.  arrested  Pope  Pius  VII — July  (i-7,  won  Hattlt 
^Vauranl — October  14,  made  treaty  of  peaee  with  Austria — Decei: 
1").  dixdi'ced  .Ios{>phine, 

ISIO 
March   11,  married   Marie  Louise  by   proxy — .July   1,  Kinir  L 
tied  from  Holland. 

ISll 

March  20,  birth  of  the  Kiuu:  of  Rome. 

1812 

June  24.  Napoleon  entered  Russia — lune  2S-July  10.  at  Vilr 
July  2G-Aui;ust  13.  at  Vitebsk — August  1(j-24.  at  Smolensk—' 
tember  7.  Battlt'  of  Borodino — September  15,  Napoleon  eiiti 
Moscow — Septembei-  LS-IS,  Moscow  burnina: — October  19,  Napo 
beuan  his  retreat — October  27.  the  tii-st  frost — October  '.W,  bread 
beef  exhausted — November  4.  first  snow — November  17.  Napo 
won  Battle  of  Krasnoi — November  27.  crossed  the  Beresina— 
cernber  6,  left  the  army — December  IS,  arrived  in  Paris. 

1813 

April  15,  left  Paris  for  the  German  campaiim — May  2,  won  ] 
tie  of  Liit/^en— May  20-21.  won  Battle  of  Bautzen— June  21.  I' 
Joseph  lied  from  Spain — August  20-27,  Napoleon  won  Battlt 
Dresden — October  lli-lS,  overthrown  at  Leipsic — November  9, 
turned  to  Paris. 

1814 

January  21,  released  Pope  Pius  VII — January  20.  left  for  ( 
paiun  in.  France — Jannaiy  29,  won  Battle  of  Brienne — Februar 
lost  Battle  of  Ln  Rothiere— Februaiy  1'^.  ^\<"i  Battle  of  Chaiii] 
bert — February  11.  won  Battle  of  Montniirail-  February  14, 
Battle  (d'  Chateau  TlneiTy— Februaiy  IS.  won  Battle  of  Monte 
— ^[a)-ch  7.  fouuht  Battle  of  Craone — March  20.  narrowly  escape 


irtiiy  in  Spair. 
fluiral  (let't'aicil 
rid — Aiiiinst  1, 
■r  27,    met  t!> 


12,  oiiterud  Vi- 
at  Aspcrn-Es.- 
Well  Hattk'  III 
:ria — Deceuibn 


1,  Kinir  Louis 


CIIKOXOLOOY  OF  XArOLKOX 


491) 


ir>.  at  Vilna- 
imuU'nsi< — Sep- 
poleoii  cntfrt'tl 
r  19,  Napi'leon 
r  'M),  bread  ami 
'  17.  Naiiiilrtui 
Beresina— Dt»- 
ris. 

ay  2,  won  Bat- 
■June  21.  Kin;-' 
won  Battle  of 
(jvembur  9,  re- 


.  left  for  cani- 
e — February-  1. 
e  of  lliaiiipau- 
)ruary  14,  won 
i  of  McnttTrau 

jwlv  escaped  a' 
.    -!•   i> H..,l 


from  Paris;— ^fandi  30.  fall  of  Pans—^fandi  31.  Xapoleon  at  Fon- 
laiiielilcau — April  fi.  ahdicatiii  — April  11.  attempted  to  i-oniiiiit  sui- 
(  :de— April  20,  started  for  Hlba— .May  2I»,  death  of  dosephiiie. 

1S15 
FehniaiT  2(1,  Xapoleon  sailed  fmn)  FJba— Marcli  1.  landed  in 
Pianee — March  20,  entered  Paris — Iiuie  11.  i)i"^ai'  the  Behian  eani- 
|,;iiM,| — Ji,,|,.  iii.  won  Battle  ot  \A<j.u\ — Iiine  1"^.  oxerllirown  at 
Wiitfildi) — lane  21.  returned  tn  Paris — Tune  22.  abdicated — July 
l.'i.  went  aboard  the  Britisli  \var>lii|..  licllernjihnn — AiiLrust  !•,  sailed 
nil  the  S(ir"iuml>erUind  for  St.  Helena— October  Ki,  landed  on  St. 
Helena — December  10,  took  up  liis  residence  at  Ltjiigwood. 

ISKI 
April   14.   Sir  Hudson   Lowe  arrived  at   St.   Helena — Auirust   IS, 
liis  last  interview  with  Xapoleon. 

ISIS 
September  2S,  P>ntish  udvernment  ordered  Xapoleon  to  sho^'  him- 
self to  an  ollicer  twice  a  day. 

1821 
May  •">.  death  of  Xai)oleon. 

is:!2 
-luly  22,  death  of  the  Kin.u'  of  Koine. 

1S40 
December  1."),  the  body  of  Xapoleon  idaeed  in  the  Hotel  des  Tn- 
\aliUeii  iu  Paris. 


^ 


TIIK  I'.OXAPAIJTKS 


(ailii  Maiia  Hdiiapailc,  li.  ITKi,  d.  17^.");  iiiariicd  Lctix.ia  Ramo- 
liii'i,  1).   17.")(l,  il.   is:;(i.      V.i'Ja  of  their  ciiililri'ii  lived  to  nialiirity. 

I  .Insrpli,  Kiiil:'  (if  Naples  and  Spain,  1).  17(iS,  d.  lSl[;  inarried 
dulie  Cl.iry  and  had  twn  daiii^hieis ;  une  niaiiicd  a  mui  of  l.iiuis 
I'.iinaparle  hut  left  im  children,  and  the  nther  married  I'riiiee  Cliaries 
l'>iina]iai'te,  a  sdn  <i\'  Lueii  n ;  niie  (if  tlieir  sdiis  hecanie  ('ar(Hnal 
H'lnaparte  a!id  one  (d'  their  i^randchildren  the  wife  id'  the  I'riiKr 
(jf  the  .M(i>l<va.  ureal  urandsdii  of  Marsha!  Ney. 

II  Xapdledii.  Knijx'rdr  <if  llie  French.  Kinu'  of  Italy,  b.  ITdit.  d. 
l^'-'l;  married  Josephine  Taxlier  de  la  I'aucrie  Heauhariiais ;  di- 
\drce(l:  married  Archduchess  Marie  Louise  of  Austria;  their  otdy 
Sdti,  Ihe  KiiiL;'  df  l\'(inie,  died  without  children. 

III  l.ucieti.  Prince  (d'  Canino,  h.  177.").  d.  JS40;  inaiTicd  Chris- 
tine Hoyer;  deceased;  married  Alexandriiu'  .J(iul)erthin ;  four  sons 
a. id  three  daughters;  one  son  married  a  dauuhter  of  Jose])!i,  as  al- 
ready noted;  two  other  sons  died  without  children;  the  foui'tli  son 
Iiecame  the  father  ot  Trince  h'oland  Bonaparte  who  married  the 
dau-hter  of  M.  Hlatie  (d'  Monte  Carlo,  and  their  daughter  is  the 
I'rincess  ^larie,  wife  oi  Prince  Oeor^-e  of  Greece. 

IV  Elisa.  Cirand  Duchess  (d'  Tuscany,  h.  1777,  d.  1S20;  married 
Felix  Hacchiochi;  one  son  and  one  dauditor. 

V  Louis,  Kinu  of  JLdland,  h.  177S,  d.  ISdO;  married  Ilortense, 
dauu-hter  of  the  Km})ress  Josephine;  three  sons,  the  third  oi'  whom 
ascended  his  uncde's  throne  as  Xajioleon   III. 

\l  Pauline,  Princess  <d'  (iuastalla,  h.  17Sn,  d.  lS2;j;  married 
Cenend  Le(derc;  deceased;  mariied  Prince  Borphese  of  Rome,  but 
l(dt  lid  (diildren. 

MI  Car(dine.  Queen  of  Xajdes,  b.  17,S2,  d.  lS.3i) ;  married  Mumt, 
Kinij'  id'  Xaides;  two  sons. 

\'III  Jerduie.  Kiiiu'  df  'Westphalin.  b.  17's4,  d.  lS(iO;  married 
Klizaheth  I'atersim  nf  Haltinidre;  one  son;  Charles  Joseph  Bmia- 
]iarle.  fdi-merly  .  ilnniey  Ceneral  df  the  United  States,  is  a  grand- 
son, and  Jerome  Xapidenri  Bonaparte  fif  Washington  a  ^reat 
j'iand>ou;  the  American  marriage  ha\ine'  been  declared  void  under 

500 


iy.ia  Kaiuo- 
liitiirity. 
4;  iiiarricd 

[1     Ut'     LdUlS 

iK'e  Charles 
e  Canliiial 
tlic   I'niK'c 

b.  17(li).  .1. 

arnais;   ili- 

tlifir  otily 

ricd  Chris- 
fdur  Sims 
i'])!!,  as  al- 
t'oililll  soil 
larried  tiie 
liter  is  the 

0 ;  niarriod 

Ilortonso, 
1  oi'  wlioin 

J;  married 
Rome,  but 

icd  Miif-at. 

);  married 
ejih  Bdiia- 
s  a  uraiiil- 
1  a  ^rcat 
^•oid  under 


CIIRONOLOfiY  OF  NAI'OLi:(^N 


501 


liie  Fii'iieli  law,  .Icriiiiic  iiinrried  f'rinc('>-  ('alliei-itir  uf  Wiii-temljrrir ; 
iwn  sons  and  one  '-.lU'litcr;  diu'  id'  iln'  sons.  Napnlrnn  .Inx'ph 
Charles.  "I'lon  Pl<iu."  married  the  Diielicss  Clotliilda  ut"  SaMiy, 
dau;:litrr  ul'  Victor  Hiniiiaiiiicl  II,  Kiipj-  of  Italy,  and  ilieir  elder 
snii,  \'ietor  Xa|i(deoii  who  married  i'riueess  (  lemenliiie  "I  1 'leliiiiiiii. 
is  tlie  bead  (d'  ihe  bouse  ol'  i?iina))artt'  and  iiretender  tu  llie  ihrone; 
the  second  sun.  Napoleon  |joiii>,  formerly  was  a  uerieral  ii:  the  i\ii>- 
siaii  army,  and  a  sister  of  iIicm'  two,  the  I'riueess  Ixii/ia,  is  the 
widow  of  iVmadeo,  I)uke  of  Ao.-la,  who  in  lS7:j  was  elected  Khig  of 
--paiii  L    I  who  abdicated  the  tki-oue. 


PHINTED    IN     THE    VS'ITED    STATES    CP    AMERICA 


INDEX 


INT)  FA' 


A  n\ikir,    Kpj'pt,    liattl(>    of,     I08,       Ahiii/i,    Cincnil,    ri[ml«id    Nii|io- 


A. n,  S\riu,  Sifj.'c  of,  !•;    Im). 

AdatiiH,  .Idliii  ','uiiiry,  mi  tln'  i  uusi' 
-.1'  til''  liii-rtiaii  war,  .'iJO. 

\|.  \iiiuirr  1  (if  Kussia.  (Hilrrid 
iiiiiiiriiiiij,'  f(ir  till'  Diiki'  il'l.ii- 
^hlcll,     Ititi;     lIlirttiHik    Na|">lr<iii'.-4 

api'ialH  for  coiifi'ssioii  of  wcak- 
rii  .-s.  l!l|;  cii^'iT  to  sri'  a  liattli-, 
I'l:. :  at  the.'  liattl.'  of  Au^titlit/, 
I'.i'.i  2(11  :  lii.H  IliL'lit  afti  r  tlif  liat- 
tlr.  -JllJ:  liis  plidj;.'  to  1' ri(l«ri(  k 
\\  illiaiM    1 1 1   over  toinl)  ol    liiii- 


li nil    at    t  alJii  III,    uC ;    dcft'ttti'd 

liy    Nii|>nlcoii    at    Ariiili',    "iT-jK  ; 

at   KimpIi,  iiii,  i;|. 
Aiit'iiiiiiiaiilii.  1' ram  1^' 'I.  |ir.  jiliy- 

hiriati    to    Napoliiiii    at    St.    llf- 

lilia.   |i;il.   1711;  r.liillliMl  liy   Mai  i.' 

l.oiiiM',    177,    )7S. 
Ar. •..!.■,   Italy.    I'.atllr  of,  .'.7   .'■'• 
As(irrii  l!s-iiii'_',  Aii-tria,   I'.attlr  of, 

27.'i-i77 
AiicTstailt.  Prussia,  liattl.'  of,  JJJ. 
Aii;.'uriaii,    (Hinral,    at    llattlo    of 

\'.\  laii,  _':i  1  ;   Ills  ilratli,   Iss. 


iriik  till'  ('ii'at,  'Jilt ;    with   Kiiiir  AiiL'ii-ta,    I'riinrsH  of    l!a\aria,   Im- 

aiul  t,>uccn  of  I'nissia  at  Mriml,  trotlinl   to    laiL'ini'    liiauliaiiiais 

^iii;   at    Tilsit,  24(1-2 t."i;    his  rr-  l,y   Na|ioliMiii,  2(1(1. 

union   with   Napoh'on  at   llrfurt,  Aii^tcrlit/',  Austria,  Battle  of,  1!(:!- 

■Jil'.i;     paltrriun    with     Napolrou  Jii.'i. 

ovir  iiiarria;,'!'  proposal,  2'.i'.'     'ii.4  Austria,     liiT     iaiiipaii.'n     aLraitist 

rrfiisal    to    shut    out    Aiiiri      in  I'rariri'iii   17'.((i,  t7;  riturniiij.' to 


sliips  and  istranK«'"i''nt  front 
Napoifon,  320,  321;  at  the  fron 
tiiT  when  Napoleon  iiivadi  d 
l;ii-^ia,  ;{;!1;  his  drtianci',  3.10; 
!  is  aicdal  coniincmoratinp;  tho 
ri|iulsi'  of  Napolion,  34!»:  the 
!■  ailrr  of  the  pfojilc's  revolt 
au'ainst  Na]ioleon.  HCil.  :!(i2 ;  re- 
tnatini;  at  I'.aut/cn,  :!(i7 :  at 
the  Battle  of  Leijisie,  37!>:  in 
the  canipaijrii  of  1S14,  38"! ;  his 
insistence  on  niakinj:  a  drive  at 
I'aris,  3ill;  enteriuL'  Paris.  3'.i."i: 
his  visits  to  .Josephine,  400,  401  ; 
his  inautruration  of  the  Holy 
Alliance,  473. 


305 


attack  of  Nai>oii.on  tifth  time, 
(111;  liroiiL'ht  to  terms.  (i4  :  ceded 
lielL'illin  to  l-'ranee,  72;  received 
\'elliee  from  Napoleon,  72:  the 
Austrian  (am|iai-n  of  ISdO,  Hi); 
in  the  tliird  coalition.  IS.'i;  over- 
whelmed at  riiii,  lSO-1'.tl  :  eon- 
<|uered  at  Auslerlitz  and  surren- 
dered la^t  foothold  in  Italy  and 
on  the  Adriatic.  2ii4:  her  treaty 
with  Napoleon  in  1><0(I,  2S0,  2s I  ; 
seekinj;  niatriiiionial  allianco 
with  Napoleon.  21t'.t.  300:  rejoie- 
inp  over  tlip  niarriatro  of  Marie 
Louise,  302:  permitted  violation 
of  treaty  pledges  to  Napoleon  at 


506 


INHKX 


hilt    ahdirntion,    4n,    lit;     In  r 
roiiiiiii-i-.i(iiii  r    to   St     lliliiiii    ri' 

I.111I.1I   l.\    \.i|.i.|i  (ifi,    liiii. 


ItiilrTinin,  roiiiif,   RiiwHinn   commis- 

-inll.  r    ilt     >t.     Illlitlll.     Illti. 

Itiitliiii'.t,    l.iird,  liJM  ntitiiiiily   tVar 

nf     \ii|iwli  (Ill's     im:i|m-     liulll     St 
II.  I.  11:1,     1:11 

ll.uU/iii,  Sa\i.iiy.   H.iitl.    nf,  :ii;7 
Itliv'urin,    rHi»i-(l    (■■    .1     knr.-duin    l.y 

VlllHlllMlIl.     'il.'t 

iiiiMiria,  Kinu  nl.  uilh  Na|H,|.,,ii 
ipii  (Vc  of  Itil^sitiii  iain|iai^;n,  '■i-'.>. 

Iliaiihaiiiais,  .MiMitiilrr  dc,  mar 
liacf  to  .1.1-,  |,||iii.',  .111.  111.  liM 
•I.atli.  41. 

HcauliarnaiH,  Kii-.iir.  Ju-^  Mitli, 
Ai);  ankiii'_'  N'apoli'oii  for  his  fa- 
thrr's  Hworil,  IJ;  with  his  Hti'p- 
fiitJHT  at  .\'  r.  .  lo|  :  hl^  ,11.11- 
riaL'i-  with  \iiL,'ii-la.  _'oii ;  \  i, , 
ro\  of  lialv  Hiiil  lirir  to  It.ili.iii 
iiowM.  iJlii;  \.i|M.l,  ,,,r-  iM-.tiiic-- 
tloiis    to,    ,,t\    (|iiiii.-t  h     I'l  l:il  inn-, 

•JS;i:         ;it         tllr         ,li\or,r        ,,|-         Ills 

niotliiT,  Jlii:  _"i7  ;  w  ith  \a|iol.Miii 
oil  rvi-  of  l;ii--iian  I  aiii|iarjii, 
•'i:tll;  his  prcsinti'lU'llt  ol  tin 
Moscow  disaster,  :t.iS :  on  tin. 
rctrrat.  ;!.'i» -.i.-i-^. 
neaiiliarnais,  I'iintiy.  approv  ,il 
.lo-i  |.|i  iiM''s    ni;i  iriaL'i'    to     Napo- 

Irnll.      11 

1'..  auliarn.ii-.  1  Imti  ri--i',  jjrr  hirth, 
Ml;  Ih  r  lovrl.--  iiiaiiiaL'r  to 
l.niiis  lioiiapai  tc.  l-'i7  I  .">s  ;  ih'atli 
of  Inr  rlilr-t  son.  lilC.  Ji:  ;  N'a- 
p"h  nil's  triliiit.'  to  hi  ,-.  -Js:!;  at 
th.'  (Ii\(in  ('  ,,i  liii-  mollii'r.  -JlMi: 
her  toiiih,  mi  :  at  N'apolcoirs 
final  (Acrthrow .  l.iii;  hir  jiart- 
iiiir  jrift   to  liiiii.   4.M 

Hiauharnais.  Stcp'i;aiiii'.  Iirtroth  'il 
to  I'riiu-f  of  liadi'n  l.v  Naoolinn. 


JOii;     th."    8p..ilii|    ilnld    of    th 

Kiiipirc,  L'H.'i 
ItcHiilii'ii,    .M.ii-lial,    oiit'.uit.il    li 

.Vapolcoii,    Is 
iti't'thoMn,  i.iiduiif  \'aii,  rrcallrd 

didiiiilioM    to   Napoleon.  'J.'ill. 
HelL'iiini,    takiii    from    Austria   ti 

I  i;nh.,  7_';    Kiiirlaiid  determini' 

(o   (  \pi  I    Napoleon    Iron:,   .'N>< 

Iteriiadottr,  .MurHJial,  lit  tie  l;.{itl 
of  Aiisterlit/,  21MI;  in  the  .I,n 
ciiiiipaiun,  l^Jil;  his  antncdenti 
•-'»:.  -.'JH;  ut  Wau'iaiii,  27S;  hi 
Helectioii  as  iro«ii  priiiii'  c 
Sweden,  ;t2.'{,  .'('J4;  ill  anil 
a'.'aiiist    Napoleon,   .'171 

lierthier,  .Marshal,  at.  r..ittl.'  0 
Kylatl,  'JHJ  ;  uith  \:ipn|,,,n  ji 
Spain,  'Jii!*;  with  .\.ip..|,(in  ii 
.\ilstria,  L'7:l:  at  the  hi -t  ahilnii 
tion.    ;ill7  ;    llis    lle.lth,     tss. 

lieitrand,  (ieiieral,  with  Napoh'Ol 
at  i:ilia,  to:l;  joined  him  in  hi 
St.  llehiiM  e\i|.-,  t.al:  his  at 
tellllanec'  nil  Ililll  at  l.onuuodil 
HI-';  ntiiined  to  St.  llilena  t 
escort  Napoleon's  hody  t 
Kraiiee,    4s,"),    jstl;    his   tonih   a 

the     IllMllides,      tS!l. 

Hertraild,  .Mine.,  atteiiipterl  suii  id 
rather  tll;in  ;.M)  to  St,  Ih  l(  n:l 
4111  ;  hy  Napoleiai's  <h  atliind 
47  1. 

liessirTes.  .Marshal.  his  ante 
Clients,  L'l7,  -.itS;  in  the  Daniili 
eampai^ni,  _'7i'. ;  his  death.  'Mil 
his  toiiili  in  the   Invalides,  487. 

liliic  her.  <  ieiieral,  r.i  ailed  to  th' 
I'nissian  aniiy,  oi).'),  :i(!(i:  ii 
the  laiiipaiLiii  of  Isl.'i,  'A' '• 
in  the  eainpai'.'n  of  Pslt,  ;is,") 
at  the  Mattle  of  IJrieiine,  :iStJ:  a 
the  r.attle  of  I.u  Kothieri',  .'WZ 
hurled  '  ai  k  hy  Napoleon,  .3H0 
repulseil  Napoleiin,  .'iiiil;  fooh'f 
in    the    I'liiidred    Days,   4lN;   hii 


!  \ ! ) ! :  x 


507 


llil.l     ..f     tllr 

.ilt'Ailt,  c|     |,y 

III.  Ii'iill.il  ,1 
I. •ill,    2.V.». 

\intria    liy 

I  iliti  riiiiiii  >1 

Inn;,    ;iSS. 

I I  tli<'  Kutttc 

III  till'  .Jena 
.iiiticcdcnts, 

nil.  iTX;  liU 
1  |iriri(i'  of 
:  ill  arms 
:71 

t.  Il.lttlr  .,1 
.\M|"ilrnll      111 

.\a|iiili()ti    in 
lii.«t  iiliilita- 

I,    JWS. 

til  Napol'iiti 
1  liiin  ill  lii!t 
15G;    luH  at- 

t    I.oni.'\viiii(l, 

I.     Ilclnil    tn 

Ipiidy         tn 

Ilis    tmiili   at 

iptiil  suit  ill.' 

St.       II   I,  Mil. 
's      (Iratlllinl, 

Ilis      anti- 

I  the  Daniil'i' 

li.'atli.   .fi;:; 

iliilrs,  4i7. 

ilird    to    til.' 

I.'),    :ii;i;;    in 
isi.!.    :)7:: 

■  isU,  ;iS.'): 
•tin.',  .3Sti :  at 
)tlii('ri',  HS7; 
poK'on,  l)H'-': 
:m):  fooii'd 
ys,   42S;   hJH 


.liny,  421>;  at  tlif  nattli-  of 
l.i;,'ny,  4:10,  4.'JI;  liix  att»iiran'.'<> 
to  W'fllinntiin  on  the  eve  of 
WatrrliH),  4:i.'t;  inuriliinti  to 
Wat.rloo,  4;»!l;  at  Wat.rlim, 
111    (HI;    wi-lini   til  Hhoot    .\ii|Mi- 

I.  nil,    4.')t). 

Im  lli'H,    Count,    third    hiiHliaml 
I  .\larif  Louiw,  4M;1. 
;  iiapnrtc,     lU'tny     I'uti-rsoii,     htr 
II  arriaKc  to  .Fcroiu*'    Hnnaparti', 
Jtiii-2r2;  8on  horn,  JOH  ;   h.T  d»'- 
-..ridants,    -Jll:    |i<.|iti(al    I'lV^it 
■  t    thf    I'opf'n   rrfiixal    to   annul 
r  iiiarr'a^'f,  HJ2. 
ipaitr.    Carlo,    wi-luil    to    tnl 
r;i"li  tn  l.ii;.'huid,  (I;  rntirnl 
'-  ipni.  nil    at    SI  hiiiil    in    Mrirnni-, 
'' .    III-.  1  liarai  t^r,    I :!,    II;   iioMc 
'1' pilty    at     \'<r-aill(  ■»,     U;     jiis 
.!■  atli".  20. 
Biiiiaparti',  Carnlini',  h  ft  lichitnl  in 
ilii'lit  oi'   lionaparti's  from   .\jae- 
■,  ■-"';   liiT  iiiarrin;;«'  witli  Mu- 
;  if.   1 'i7  ;   the  iiio«t  ainhitious  of 
\  ipnj.cii'.s  Hi.stcrs,  21},  2l."i;   her 
'l.atli.  4s:!. 
!l-iiapartf,   CharN-i  .Iiw.pji,   attnr- 
ii'>-^'cniTal  ni  thr  liiitcd  Sfatfs 
■iiid    }:j'aiulMiii    ni    Kin;,'   ■Icroiiif 
Hnnaparti',  211. 
I'miapartc,  Elisa,  di^'lit  from  Ajao- 
'  ill,  211;    lirr   passion    for   pourr 
.M.">:  h.T  d.'ath,  4M2. 
Bi'tiiipiirtc,  .Icronic,  lift  luliiiiil   in 
ill    nf   linnaparti-^   fmni   .\jae- 
',  -'<:  liirt  hciis  cxrhiilrii  from 
I"  rial     sucwssion,     108;     his 
irriau'i"    with    Ht't.sy    I'atiTson 
'  naltiinorc,  20(i-212:  Him  liorii. 
"'';  Ilis  iiiarriai;''  with  I'riiUfss 
'   ilhrrinc   of   WCrtiMiiliiTi.'.   ■>{)'.): 
Kiiiir  of  Wcstjilialia,  210;  hi-<  ex- 
'r  i\  ii'jam  ('«,  21  4  :  with  Napoleon 
';    till'    iii\;isiim   of    Kiissia,    :i31; 
i    -    !..iii;.'(!(ini    t'n'_'ulfi  (1,    .'!70:    at 


Watirloo,  4.10;  hiil  toinli  at  tliu 
InvalidiM,  4H!l. 
Itonapartc,  .Icrunie  N'apolt'on,  Itorn 
to  Ititny  TatiTHon,  20!i ;  i;;nond 
ill  fathi'r'M  will,  2I0;  dci'linrd 
diiki'iloni  ill  Siioiid  KiMpirr,  2lO; 
trrudiialiii  frnm  Harvard.  210; 
iiiarriid  Aiiicriian  girl,  Jll;  I.  ii 

two    HOIIH,    211. 

lioliapartf.  Colonel  .I.Tonif  .Napo- 
li'on,  Hon  of  .ItToiiif  Napoleon 
Ilona|iarto  and  ;;rundMon  of 
Kill;;  .leroiiir   llonaparti',   211. 

lioiiapartc,  .Irnuiic  Nnpnlion, 
ureal  ;.'raiiil-nii  ni  Kiiiu'  I'  inme, 
211 

I'.niiaparlr,  .li..-ipli.  I.iilh|ilai  i',  5; 
at  »i  liodl  with  Napniinii  In 
France,    14.    aiconipanied    .In^, 

phine     to     Italy,    .")4  ;     ne;,'otiated 

Treaty  of  .Mortef.intuiiie  with 
the  Cnit.,!  States,  I4:J;  hiH  h.-ira 
in  line  of  iniperl.il  HiicoesHion, 
ItlS;  a  prince  of  the  Knipirc, 
Ifill;  made  Kin;;  of  Naples,  21;;; 
ap|ioiiited  Kiiiu  of  Spain,  2i>i!, 
2ti7;  (Ollfrniited  liy  revolution, 
2li7-270;  his  lli^'ht  from  Spain, 
•'(70:     eliiif     adviser     of     .Marie 

Louise     as     rei.'e|,t,     :is.-);      nllered 

XaiMil.nii  hi,  .111, ill  in  ;i  ,|np 
hound  to  th.'  I'liited  states.  4.')2: 
his  tonili  at  the  [nvalJd..^,  }s;i 
I'>iina|i;irte,  ],eti/ia.  in  the  ('nrsi.;in 
revolut  inn.  •"  ;  dis,  ril.ed.  11 ;  op- 
posed hur.l.;in.r-  d'-ire  tn  Injj.uv 
I'aoli  t.i  Kii'jhind.  (i;  li.  r  timili 
deserilH'.!.  lii;  h.  r  \  isii  to  Na- 
poleon at  Sell, lid,  l.'i:  in  po\erty, 
2.');  tteeini;  from  the  I'aolists, 
2!1;  handsomely  r.in.iiih.'r.  .1  l.v 
Napoleon  in  the  lirst  Imtir  o*' 
\irtory.  tlsl;  the  trials  ;ind  fears 
of  Mme.  Mere  in  th.'  l-jiipire. 
■-M.K   -JKl:    her   111.  k    nf  aireetion, 


■■.ith 


Naptihon     at 


Kll.a, 


508 


INDEX 


11. 


410,  tile  only  oni'  in  tho  secret 
of  the  projeiteci  lii;;lit,  41.');  her 
partiii;:  eall  l)eforr  Napoleiin's 
Hurreiuler  to  ];ni.'laiul,  4.)1;  her 
life  after  the  fall  <if  the  Empire, 
48l',  4S:{:   her  death.  4.S;i. 

Boiiuparte,  Louis,  educated  by  Na- 
poleon, 20;  llight  from  Ajaccio, 
2!t;  to  the  rescue  of  Xajioleoii  at 
Arcole,  ,58;  his  loveless  marriage 
with  Ilortense  lieanliariiais,  157, 
l.^S;  his  heirs  in  line  of  imperial 
BUccession,  ItJS;  a  jirinee  of  the 
Eni()ire,  Iti'.i;  luau,  Kiii^' of  Hol- 
land, :iH;  death  of  his  eldest 
son.  :ilt),  2'7;  his 
throne,    32.'J. 

Bonaparte,    Lucien, 
the  Five  Hini<ir<(i 
excluded    froii.    i.i,;  . 
sion,     108;     rejecteil 
loyalty    to    his    wift 
death,  483. 

Bonajiarte,    Pauline, 

Ajaccio,  29;  created  Duchess, 
215;  only  sister  with  any  atTec- 
tion  for  Napoleon,  28.3;  with 
him  at  Elba,  410;  her  death, 
482. 

Bonaparte,  \ictor,  recei\ini. 
fjriiiis  from  Ajaccio,  30; 
tender,  211. 

Borodinc,  lUissia,  Battle  of, 
338. 

Bourrienne,  Louis  Antoine  Fauve- 
let  de,  Napoleon's  schoolmate  at 
Brienne,  17;  with  him  in  the 
Revolution,  27;  became  lii^  see- 
ri'tary,  0!t;  settlinjr  .(..sephine's 
bills,  155,  150;  his  betrayal  of 
Najioleon  and  his  dismissal, 
102,  103;  conniviuf,'  at  the  resto- 
ration  of  the   Bourbons,   3'JO. 

Brazil,  her  empire  founded  by 
PortULTUese  royal  family  in  llight 
from   Napoleon,  200. 


iiiht  from  th( 

President    of 
!;  Ills  heirs 
a  I    succes- 
crowns    in 
214;     his 


li'dit     from 


pil- 
pn- 

337, 


Brienne,  Franc,  Battle  of,  3> 
Brownintr,     Robert,    his     poei 

Na[ioleon,  27.3. 
Prune,    Marshal,    his    antecci 

247,  248. 
Billow,   tieneral,   in   the   cam 

of    1814,  385;   at  Waterloo, 

442,  444. 
Buonvita,    Father,    one    of    ; 

Icon's  priests  at  ^t.  Helena, 

C'aldiero,  Italy,   Battle  of,  5(i 

C'ambaceres,  Chancellor,  apjjo 
arch    chaniellor    of   the   Kri 
lOU;    dread    of    Napoleon's 
riaixe  with  .Marie  Louise,  .'J 

Cambronne,    (ieneral,    with    > 
Icon    at    Elba,    403 ;    Najwl 
orders   to   him    on    ri'turn 
Elba,  417:   "The  Old  (Juard 
but  never  surrenders,"  445. 

(.ampbell,  (.olonel,  warned  Br 
^'o\ernment  that  Xapi 
would  le;i\e  ];iba  Unless  ti 
were  fulMlled,  413;  foolec 
Napoleon,  415,  410. 

Campo  Eormio,  Italv,  the  Peai 
72. 

Carteaux,       General,       Napol 
con  niander  at    Toulon,  32; 
eioned   by    First   Consul,   14S 

Casti^rlione,  Italy,  Battle  of,  ; 

Catherine,  Princess  of  Wur 
berg,  married  to  Jerome  li 
parte,  200;  Naiioleon's  kind 
to.  283. 

Caulaincourt,  Armand  de,  witii 
poleon  in  Spain,  20'.»;  on  N 
Icon's  forfiiveness,  317;  on 
Russian  retreat,  357;  with 
poleon  at  the  fall  of  Paris, 
3!)5. 

Champaubert,  France,  I'.attle 
38(.t. 

Charles,  Ardi  Duke  of  Aus' 
his  ri'treat  before  .Napoleon, 


3attl'>  of,  3Sfl. 
t,    lii-i    poem    on 

liiH    antecedent.-, 

n   tlif   campaijm 
t  Waterloo,  44ii. 

,    one    of    Nap,,- 
yt.  Helena,  i0 

ilttle  of,  .'ill. 
L'ellor,  appointtii 

of  the  Kraijirr, 
Napoleon's  mar- 
e  Louise,  odl. 
■al,  with  -N'apo- 
ti>;i;  Xa|)oleon's 
on    return   from 

Old  Guard  diis 
lulers,"  445. 

warned  British 
hat  Xapoji'iin 
la  unless  treatv 
413;     fooled    l.'v 

nti. 

Ay.  the  Peace  of. 

al,  N'apoleon'^ 
oulon,  3-1 :  pen- 
Consul,  14S. 
Battle  of,  55. 
ss  of  Wurteii]- 
3  Jerome  Bona 
oleon's  kindnr-i 

ind  de,  ^vitll  Xii 
liO'.t;  on  Napn- 
i8,    317;    on   tin 
357;    with  Na- 
il of  Paris,  394, 

liee.     I'.attle    ul. 

ke    of    Au.-.trui. 
1'  Napoleon,  02- 


INDEX 


509 


r,i:  his  retreat  in  ISOO,  273;  at 
.Xspern-Ksslin^'  and  Watrraiii, 
27 .">- 27!i ;  pr()\y  of  Na]i()lcon  at 
inarria;.'e  of  Marie  Louise,  304. 
Cliarli'S  X  of  l-'ranee,  sent  to  repel 
Nap(deon  on  his  return  from 
I!llia,  421;  abandoned  his  coni- 
iriand,  4L.'.i. 
ateau     Tliirrry,     France,    Battle 

nf,    iiS't. 

.  kliurn,  .\dniiral,  in  charpc  of 
.Napoleon  on  the  voyage  to  St. 
Helena,  4-')7. 

ide    .Napoleon,    14(1. 
iloniliier,    .Mile.,    Napoleon's    first 
sweetheait,    23 :    remembered    Ijv 
hiiii  in  days  of  iiis  jiower,  2S2. 
-ii.ordat.  The.   I3S-140. 
iii>al\i.  Cardinal,  negotiated   the 
(nncordat,    13!t. 
I  eii-tant,    nianied    by    Napoleon, 
2'.(1:  dres^iii^'  him  to  meet  Marie 
Louise      .'inii;     ui'vleeted     to     give 
him    waterproof    I Is    at    Boro- 
dino,  337:    abandoned  his  fallen 
master  in    LSI 4,  3'.iS. 

I'a\nut,  .Marshal,  in  the  school  at 
r.rieiuie,  I'.i;  at  Ulni,  llKI;  at  tiie 
Battle  of  .\usterlitz,  201,  202; 
Win  tile  Battle  of  Auerstadt. 
224;  at  Battle  of  Eylau,  235: 
his  antecedi'uts,  2-^7,  248;  cut 
olT  by  the  Danube,  27<i:  at  Wag- 
ram,  27it;  on  the  Russian  re- 
treat, 354-358;  ordered  Napo- 
leon out  of  Paris  in   18L"),  44!». 

r)enii(lot!',  Piince,  his  museum  in 
LIba,  4(iS;  liis  yearly  memorial 
pervioe  for  Napoleon,  412. 

D'liioulin,  .Tt^an,  presented  .*20.()00 
.  >  Naj-.oleon  on  return  from 
KIha,  422. 

Denmark,  Napoleon  and  Czar  de- 
termined to  close  her  ports 
against  l-^ngland.  244;  renounced 


her  alliance  with  Xapo'eon  in 
isil;  ceded  Norway  to  Sweden 
and  Heligoland  to  Kngland,  384. 

l)<>sai\,  (ieneral,  sa\ing  the  day  at 
.Marenv'o,   12!»;   his  ihatli,   130. 

Dresden,  .'^axony.  Battle  of.  373- 
.■!75;    the   tjehi   to-day.   374   370. 

DlOUot.    (lellelal.    at    the     B.lttle    of 

Lilt/en.  ;'.rF(i:  with  Napideoii  at 
i:iba.  (0.3:  his  latal  a<lvire  at 
\\  aterloo,  434. 

Dupont,  (ieneral.  surrendered  Na- 
poleonic eaeles  in  Spain  for  lirst 
time,  2tiS. 

Duroc,  C'eneral,  appointed  grand 
mar-lial  of  the  palaee,  l(i!l;  at 
Tilsit  2 1 1  :  ret  iiriiin^'  t'roni 
Spain  with  Napoleon,  271;  on 
Najrcdedn's  abscdutisni.  3iii.  317: 
on  the  l!ii-.<ian  retre;it,  '.Vu  :  his 
(leatli.  .'!(iS;  Napoleon  thought 
of  takini:  bis  name  after  Water- 
loo, 45:{;  his  tomb  at  the  Inva- 
lides.  4.S!». 

Enghien.  Due  d',  kidnapped  liy 
Napoleon's  soldiers,  lti4:  shot, 
Ki.-.. 

En'jland,  war  with  France  in 
17!»3,  2S:  her  forces  defeated  at 
Toulon,  33,  34 :  the  one  uncon- 
quered  foe  of  France  in  17!il», 
73;  subsidised  the  Austrian 
campaiiin  of  Isoo,  ll!);  niade 
peace  with  Napoleon  in  18(12. 
L'J3 ;  reopened  war  with  Franee 
in  1803,  178-180:  •  Th..  (.reat 
Terror"  at  time  of  Nafioleon's 
tlireatened  inxasion,  181;  in  the 
third  (dalition,  185;  her  recog- 
nition of  equality  of  flaus  at  sea 
demanded  by  Russia.  244;  her 
restrictions  on  neutral  cotn- 
mene,  2(14:  her  alliance  with 
■Spanish  revolutionists.  270:  her 
wares    boycotted     by     Napoleon, 


510 


INDEX 


-'^ti:    licr    striip-l,.    a-aiiist    run- 
tiiKiitiil  svsteiii,  ;f21,  ;;jii;  i,i(i-,t 

'■"Ii^tMnt  to,..  ;i7().  ;!71  .  rrcciNrd 
IIiIilmiIiukI  In, 1,1  |),.M,iiaik,  :iS4  ; 
'ill-  il'  t,Miiiiiati,,ii  ti,  ,x|„.|  .\;i! 
|'|il,oii  ir.iiii  II, ,11;, 11,1  aijil  |!,.|. 
^''■""'  •'^■^;  |"-initt,,l  \i,,lat,,,u 
'"  »'•'•'»>  pi'Mvcs  t,,  \a|„,l,.,,M  at 
;iisalMli,ati„„.4l.;.  Ill;  wan„.,l 
''>  '"'•  <ai„|,l„.|l.  I,,,,.  ,,„„n.i.s- 
^"""■'-  iM  Kll.a,  that  .\ai,„l,.„„ 
"ou|,l  h.av,.  unhvs.s  trratv  w.'n- 
'•illill,d,    n.-i,   414:    h.T  ;„ntin 

!S<»t  at  \\at..rl„„.  4:iS;  I,,.,-  ,„i„. 

istry  il.l.Tiuiiu.d  to  tak,-  wwifv 

on   \ai„,li.on,  4,').">. 
i-:ii,t.'Mii,..     Kv.Knipp.ss,     ouM,.,-     ,„ 

Na|M,|..,,ii's    iiirtlipla,-,..    s 
Kvlai,,    Kast    l'n^^sia.     IJaffl,.    of 

-'.•>;j-L'.i."). 

IWj't,  ■.•oii,|.i,T,.,l  l,_v  Xapol,.,,!,, 
•'-^■>-  ioii.|u,-iv,l  l,v  K„:.h„„l 
ii'i'l  r,-t,,iv,l  to  Turk,  v.  ITii 

J-iiicr.son.  Kalph  Uai.lo,"  on  .\a|,o- 
lt;oii-a  army  at  Kvlau,  J;;:,;  „„ 
■^'a|,ol(,)n'.s  iiiciiioirs,  2(i(t. 

Krrdinan,!    VII,   of   Spain,    surn^n- 
ilrrt'd    to    .\ap,,li.„n.    litK;  ■    ]ii„,r. 
at,'(l,   ;is4, 
Ffs.il,  .Jos..pl,,  Cardinal,  his  torn!) 
"t  -Via.'cio,  10;  tau.iiht  Xap„i,,,n 
tlie    alj.iialK.t,     14;     tiio|,t    ,,„„i 
-Ajaccio,     2'J:     [HTfonnin-    nli- 
;-nons  niarria;,,.  of  Napolwn  and 
•'"^'•I'lnn,..    17:i:    ,narri,.,l    Xap,,- 
''""  and   Mari,.  L,,ui>,..  -.U):  ■,  hj^ 
vuin     app,al     to     Xap.d.'on     for 
""''''■'■ati"",     ■•;-'•;:     In.s     partinj- 
call  JM.i,,,-,.  Xapol.on-s  surn.nd.T 
to     En-land,     4.-)l  ;     ,.|,os,.     p|,y- 
HKians  and   prit^sts  for   St     11,.- 
Ifiia,  4U!». 
Finland.     Xap„l.,.n     .ons.nt..!     („ 
l''iss,a    takin-   it  f,,,n,    Sw,.d,.n, 


Flannnarion,  Caniillc,  his  villi 

till-    site    of    u    Xapulrunic 

.•ili4. 

Fouch,.,  .lo.s,.p||,  uurning  Xapo 

a;iaiii.-t  tli,'   liourbons,   Itil  ; 

in^'    on    thr    Fir.,t    Consul,'  ] 

plotting:  th,.  dounfall  of  the 

I'iildif,   Jtiii;   his  sharp  rctorl 

th..  Krnpcror,  Kilt;  at  Xapolf 

liiial  o\crthi,n\,   i  Jli,  4.-,(). 

Iranc'f,    her    con,pi,'st    of   Cors 

.")(!;  opcnint:  of  the   Krvolut 

-■">;      rivohitionarv      sfi'iics 

I'aris,    27,    -'S;    war    with    I 

lan.l  in  17i);i,  _'s ;  the  attt'mp 

evolution    of    \'cnd,.nuairc. 

•i":    liiT   ,a.npaiL;n    ai^ainst   A 

tria    in    17;iii,  47;    tij,,k    lidui 

ironi    Au-tna.    7:2;    inr   stru- 

to     lon.pnr     l':iiu'lan,l,     7;i,   '"; 

opened     u;.        u  ith     Kp^rhuid     | 

tlay    l.i,uisiana   tn^aty    was   ni 

l',',l,    14.3;    conditions    under   t 

Consulat..,     i:,!(,     KiO;     ^v^^^^ 

statue  of  Xap,,l,.on   to   \end„i 

<olunin,  2r>4:   her  war  wearin, 

and  refusal  to  rally  to  Xapole 

in  thi'  Hundred  l.>ays,  4M,  42 

iier   eoniniissioiier   to   St.    Helei 

rel.ulied   \,y   Xapoleon,   4UU;   tl 

Kiv.dution  of  IS.iO  and  the  Kii 

of  lioin-,  47t);  found  at  last  h, 

redemption    in   democraev,  411' 

Francis  I  «f  Austria,  mistook  Xi 

poleon-s    app,.als    for    pea,v   s 

eonlession  of  weakness,  l!)4;  in 

patient     to     reeajiture     \i,iim 

11».):  at  th..  Battle  of  Austerliti 

1!'!;  201  ;    his   meeting   with  Xa 

poleon  after  Austerlitz,  2():i:  a 

the  front  in  iSU',1,  274;  his  peacv 

treaty    with    X'apoleon    in    isuil 

-*50,    281;     anxiou.s    to    saerilin 

Ins  dau.uhter  to  Xajioleon,  2liit; 

implored  by  h,.r,  ;j()l  ;    with   \a' 

poleon    on    eve    of    lliissian   eaiil- 


INDEX 


511 


111-,  his  villa  od 
<aj)ulruiiif    inu, 

filing  Xapok'on 

I'OnS,    Kil;    S|,y- 

t  Cijiisul,  U,2; 
Hull  of  thu  IW- 
*liiiiii  retort  on 
;  at  Xapolcoii's 
l!i,  4.)(). 

i>l    Corsica, 
Ki-'Volutiuii, 

Sl'fllcs        il; 


witii  ;•: 


iij 


the  attfiiijitid 

iili-iiiiairo,   ;i,)- 

aiiaiiiat   Auj 

toiik  licli;:ii!ii 
:    'nri   t;triiL'L.'l'' 

illlll,  ::{,  7(; 

Kngland  th.' 
aty  \va>s  mti- 
ins   under   tliv 

I'il);  restored 
1  to  N'eiuionie 
var  weariness 
V  to  Xaijoleon 
lys,  42li,  427; 
to  at.   Uel.na 

'On,    4(J(i;    tl.e 

and  the  Kin;,' 
id  at  last  lier 
oeraey,   4'.i-2. 

mistook  Xa- 
or  peaci'  as 
fss,  1!I4;  iiii- 
lire  \'ieiiiia, 
)f  Austerlit/, 
ng  with  Na- 
lit/,  :2():j;  at 
"4;  liis  peaef 
■on    in    Ihoit, 

to  saerilice 
poleon,  L'H'.t; 
I  ;  with  Xa- 
iissian   eani- 


I'aijm,  .'?2n;  in  the  campaign  of 
i>^i;f,  ;i72.  :)7;i;  at  tlie  Battle  of 
Leijisie,  :!7:i;  in  till'  eainpaii;n 
of  lsl4,  .'is,')-  eoiiimissionrd 
Metternieh  to  ey|)laiii  to  Kiiej; 
of  Rome  the  dowiilall  of  Xapo- 
ieon,  47(;;  his  tonih,  4S4. 

Iinleriek  William  111  of  Pnis-ija, 
ordered  nunirning  for  the  Duke 
'i'jjighien.  Itir,;  playiML'  fa^t  and 
loose  with  Xapoleoii,  -ils  22(1: 
iiis  ])led;,'e  to  the  C/ar  over  the 
toiid)  of  r-Vederiek  the  (ireat, 
2l'.i:  his  retreat  from  Xapoleon, 
J27-2;{7;  snubbed  at  Tilsit,  240; 
interrogated  by  Xajxileon,  241; 
r.icived  XajMjleon's  ultimatum, 
-tt:  a  vassal  of  Napoleon,  24."); 
with  him  on  eve  of  Kussiiin  cam- 
I'aign.  .■i2ll :  swe|)t  away  on  a 
tide  of  [latriotism  in  lSl:i,  ;50:f : 
at  the  IJattle  of  l.eipsie,  ;!71t ; 
in  the  campaign  of  1S14.  .■iS."i: 
entering  Paris,  .•Jit.");  his  visit  to 
■  lo>ephine,   401. 

Ini.lland,  East  Prussia.  Battle  of, 
■■'•>■',  2:i7. 

Fulton,  Robert,  vainly  otr.'ri'd 
steamboat  and  torp"do  to  Franee 
and  Kngland,  ISO. 

'Garibaldi,  OIusepi)e.  at  Elba.  40.5. 

'M(,rg|.  IV  of  Engh.-.nd,  Xapoleon's 
appeal  to  him,  4.');{. 

'■'orges,  Cadoud'',  leader  in  a 
llourbon  plot  against  First  Con- 
-111,   lt;:i;   his  death,   1(14. 

'■'  iinany.  her  enndition  at  openinr; 
of  lllth  century,  218;  the  realisa- 
tion of  (Jueen  Louise's  vision, 
24(1;  the  rising  of  her  people 
ai,'ainst  X'apoleon,  :it)l--;i(;:!. 

Gladstone,  William  E.,  on  Xapo- 
leon as  an  administrator,  2<;i. 

Crourgaud,  Ceneral,  join.d  Xap.v 
Icon  on  his  St.  Helena  exile,  4;'i(i ; 


his  attendance  at  Longwood, 
402;  returned  to  Ijirope,  4(iS; 
suspec  tell  of  a  mission  to  King 
of  Rome.  47S;  returned  to  .St. 
Helena  to  escort  Napoleon's 
body  to  Franee,  4S.j,  4S(i. 
Groin  hy.  .Marslial,  his  anteredenta, 
247,  24S;  sent  in  [Jiirsuit  of 
liiiiiher.  4:il;  on  the  day  of 
Waterloo,   4:;:;.    4.!'J  -til. 

Holland,  bestoued  upon  Louis  Hon- 
aparte  by  Xapoleon,  214;  an- 
nexed, .■i23;  England  determined 
to  expel  Xapoleon   from,  :iSA. 

Holland.  Lord,  a  defender  of  Xa- 
poleon in  England,  404. 

Holy  Alliance,  inaugurated,  483; 
a  league  against  liljcrty,  4S.j. 

Hugo,  Victor,  at  Elba,  40.");  the 
original  of  his  character  of  ./nut 
^'n'j((ln  followed  Xapoleon  to 
Waterloo,  420. 

Hari,  Camilla,  Xapoleon's  foster 
mother,  U;  pensioned  by  First 
Consul,  148;  at  Xapoleon's  cor- 
onation, 17.'). 

Italy,  her  war  of  lilicration,  .'ifi; 
the  corner  stone  of  her  union 
laid  by  X'apoleon,  f.n,  70;  Xa- 
poleon crowned  King  of,   170. 

•Tatfa,  Palestine,  the  capture  of 
and  massacre  of  prisoiurs  in, 
!t4-!)(i:  .Vapolcon  in  its  plague 
hospital.   107. 

■Jcirerson,  Thomas,  his  purchase  of 
Louisiana,  144  140;  troul)lcd  by 
the  Bonaparte- Paterson  mar- 
riage, 207. 

.Jena,  Saxe  W.  itr.ar.  Battle  of, 
221-224. 

Jews,  The,  enianeiiiated  bv  Xapo- 
leon. 259. 


51: 


INDEX 


.loitivillc.    rriiur,    brou?ht    N'apn- 
liMiii's     luxly     frdiii     St.     Ili'lmii, 
4S,-). 
Jiiiiiiiii.  (li'iiiTcil.  aliaiulnnicl   Naiio- 

l<(.ii  ill  isi:i.  ;i7L'. 
.l()-(|iliinr.  Kni|irrss,  licr  ^irlluidil 
ill  Maitiiii(|iir,  :iS  1(1:  liiT  V(iy- 
iiL'i'  til  Fraiirc  and  iiiarnuLrc  to 
Ali'xaiitlrf  tie  Brauliariiais,  ;i'.t, 
1(1;  return  to  Martiiii'|ii<'.  40; 
in  tlic  sliailiiw  of  tlic  ■ruilliitinc, 
41:  drath  of  her  Inisbaiid,  41; 
li,r  nuitiii^'  with  Napoleon,  42: 
hiT  lawyer's  protest  apainst  her 
niarriaKi-S  44;  the  marriage,  44, 
45;  amused  by  her  bride^Tuoiu's 
ardour,  4'.t :  joins  him  in  Italy, 
5:i,  ,54:  (  '  letters  from  him, 

,-)!) :    her  it   Malmaison   and 

her    soei.,1    lea.  ership,    14'.l-l.J."); 
her    extravat-'ann'S    in    the.    Con- 
sulate, 1.V)    l.')7:  her  early  dread 
of   a  ( rown   and   a  divorce,   and 
her    wifely    warniiifrs,     l.'iT-loS; 
iier     tearful     appeals     for     the 
Duke    d"Knj,'hien,     It;'.;     her    re- 
lij;ioufl  marriage  with  Napoleon, 
172,    173:    her    eoronation,    173- 
17(i:   her  last  journey  with  Na- 
poleon,  272 ;    her   doom    knelled, 
281;     more    extravagances    and 
debts,  293 ;  her  usefulness  to  Na- 
poleon, 293-295;  her  divorce  an- 
nounced,   295,    290:    Napoleon'a 
settlement  on  her,  295,  290;  the 
divorce   and    partinjr,    297,    20S; 
her  last  duty  to  Napoleon,  299- 
300;    her    attitude    toward    him 
after  his  second  niarriafre,  307, 
308;   her  gift  and  visit  to  King 
of  Rome.  312;  her  last  days  and 
her  death.   400,  401  :    Napoleon's 
jiarting   tril.'Ute   to   her   inemnry 
before  surrendering  to   England, 
451. 
Jourdan,  Marshal,  his  antecedents. 


247.  24'i :   his  t.mib  in   the   In 
lides  at    Pans,  4S7. 

■Tiinot,  Ceiieral,  with  Napoleon 
'Idiihiii,  3.'!;  iiecompanied 
sei'hine  to  Italy,  54:  in  bat 
at  tlie  Ibiriis  of  llattin,  b 
his  expedition  to  Lisbon,  2l 
surrendered   to   Wellington,  'J 

.lunot,    .Mine.,    her    vengeful    nii 
cirs,    153. 

Kell.Tmann,  General,  his  charge 

Marengo,   l:)0. 
Kleb.r,   Ceiieral,    in   the  caiupa 

in  (iaiilee.   10(1,   101;   leading 

last    attack    on    Acre,    104; 

tomb  in  the  Invalides  at  i'a 

4s7. 
Keith,  Lord,  read  to  Napoleon 

sentence    of    banishment    to 

Helena,   45t;. 
Kutusof.  General,  at  the  Hattb 

Borodino,    337,   338;    abando 

Moscow,  340;  his  pursuit  of 

p(deon     on      retreat,     351; 

death,    300. 

Lab^loT&re,  Colonel,  surrcndi 
)iis  regiment  to  Napoleon  i 
Grenoble,  422:   his  death,  45 

Lafayette,    Marquis    de,    his 
test    against    the    consulate 
life,    142:    at    Napoleon's    I 
overthrow,  449. 

Lai  tenia  nd,  General,  parting  f 
Napoleon  on  the  Bellerop 
450. 

Lannes,  Marshal,  wounded  at 
cole,  58;   wounded  at  Acre, 
at  Ulm,  190;  in  .bm  canipi 
220;     at     Battle     of     Kriedl 
230:    his  anteeedents,  247, 
at  Essling,  275;  his  death, 
Lannes,   Mme.,   her   dialogue 
Napoleon.  289. 


I)  in   th(>  Inva- 

1    Niipoli'oii  at 

iiin|iii!rKd    .In- 

■)»:    in   liuttli' 

Ihittin,    liin, 

l.i-lion,    -IM: 

(■lliiiLTton,  'JO-*. 

.fllL'i'ful     IIll'lU- 


I,  his  cliargi'  al 

the  caiiiiiai^u 
)1  ;  loadinu'  tl,.' 
Km;  104:  his 
lidos  at  I'ari?, 

)  Xapoli'oii  till' 
dhmi'iit    to   M. 

t  the  Battlo  uf 

;J8 ;    aliandoiu'd 

jiursuit  of  N;i 

L-at,     3Jl;     ilia 


'1,  surrcndorffi 
N'apolfdii  nrar 
is  doath,  4.V2. 
3  dp,  his  I '■'> 
conBuhite  lor 
lapolcon's    final 

I,  partinp:  from 
ic    BclltToplion, 

ivminded  at  Ar- 
d  at  Acre,  104; 
Jena  paiiipaiL'n. 
of  Frii'dUind, 
lenta,  247,  248: 

his  death.  ':::. 

■   dialoj'Ue    .  ith 


INDEX 


513 


I.a     Rothiere,     Franie,     Rattle    of, 

La-  Cases,  Emniamiei,  Cotint  de, 
his  remark  to  Lord  Keith  on  the 
r.rKerophon,  4")ti;  reeeivinjr  the 
iliitation  of  Napoleon's  "Meni- 
nirs"  on  the  Noriliiunlieriand, 
i'u  :  acroinpanied  hy  his  son  to 
M.  Helena.  4t)l:  teaehinjr  Kn<x- 
li-li  to  Nap(deoii,  4tl2,  41!:!;  ar- 
ir-ti  d  and  deported,  4f)S;  his 
>nn  ri'tiinied  to  St.  Helena  to  es- 
iiirt  Na|)oleon's  body  to  France, 
■)•<.'.,  480. 

I.,i  Tour  d'Auvercme,  first  prena- 
ili.r  of  l-'ranee,  "dead  on  the 
lirld  of  honieir."  ISS;  hi.s  tond> 
ill  the  Invalides  at   Paris,  4S7. 

I.avahtte,  General  de,  his  escape 
from  prison,  4,")2. 

Lavaletto,  Mnie.  de,  niece  of 
I'anny  Reauharnais,  at  Jo- 
-' jihiiii''s  coronation,  17."):  de- 
Imred  her  hushand  from  jirison, 

1..  I,  lire.  Marshal,  husband  of  Mme. 
>aiis  Gene,  won  to  Napoleon's 
I'lot  a;.'ainst  the  Directory,  112; 
M'tnred  Dantzie,  2.'it;;  his  an- 
t-.d.nts,  2-17,  248:  at  the  first 
abdication,  307 ;    his  death,   4SS. 

Lcipsic,  Saxony,  Rattle  of,  and  its 
licld  today.  37t)-.'iSl. 

Lidii.  Count  de,  son  of  Xapcleon, 
J!lo. 

i.i-'ny,  Relgiuni,  Rattle  of,  430. 

Uvinfrston,  Robert  R.,  ncL'otiat- 
itii:  for  the  [lurehase  of  Louisi- 
ana, 144  14(i-  in  a  stormy  scene 
■■''  the  Tuileries,  17i»:  declined  to 
interfere  in  Bonaparte-Raterson 
"larriafje  didiculty,   207. 

'"«li,  Italy,  Rattle  of.  .-)0-.')l. 

I'liato.  Italy,  Rattle  of.   ■),->. 

Li'iiix',  Queen  of  IVussia.  rallied 
tl:e  war  party  in  lb06,  219;  her 


flipht  before  Xapoleon  from  .Tena 
to  Minicl,  22(1  2211.  2:il,  2.'i2  ;  her 
statue  .it  Tilsit,  2.'iS;  her  house 
at  Tilsit,  2:ilt:  her  visit  to  Til- 
sit. 242-244:  year^•.  of  poverty 
and  sorrow.  2\'i:  her  de:itfi.  Imt 
children,  her  tomb,  2tii;  her 
daiiLrhter  married  to  Nicholas  1 
of  Russia,  24(!. 
Louisiana,    its   sale   tcj   the   United 

States  by  Napoleon,  14:i-l4t). 
I.X)uis  l'hili|)i)e.  Kinj;  of  France, 
restored  statue  of  Xapoleon  to 
Vendonie  column,  2.")3:  en- 
throned by  the  Revolution  of 
18;i0,  479;  brousht  Napoleon'.s 
body  from  St.  Helena  and  buried 
it  in  the  Invalides,  48,')-4S7. 
Louis  XM  of  France,  on  whose 
bounty  Xayioleon  was  educated, 
13:  X'apoleon  present  when 
Kinj:  was  mobbed,  28,  2!1. 
Louis  XVI II.  iiis  attempt  to 
bribe  Napideon.  It'iil.  101  ; 
wished  to  remove  Xapoleon 
from  Elba,  414:  his  tlijiht  from 
Paris  at  the  approach  of  Xa- 
poleon, 424. 
Lowe,  Hudson,  in  the  cam])aijrn 
of  1813,  371:  commended  Water- 
loo as  battlefhdd,  437:  chosen  to 
be  Napoleon's  custodian  at  St. 
Helena,  4(14:  his  iron  rule,  464- 
472:  refused  to  permit  Xapo- 
leon's  heart  to  be  sent  to  Marie 
Louise.  471. 
Liitzen,  Prussia,   Battle  of,  366. 

Macdnnald,  Marshal,  his  ante- 
cedents, 247,  248;  at  Wagram, 
279:  swam  to  safety  at  Leipsic, 
381 ;  at  tl.e  first  abdication,  397  ; 
lied  from  Xajjoleon  at  Lvons, 
423, 

Mack.  General,  defeated  by  Xa- 
poleon at  Uhn,  190-1111. 


,\\ 


INDEX 


Maithuid,  Ciipt.u!!,  liis  reception 
,it'  Napoleon  nil  th.  liillcro- 
pliiiii,   453-4.')."). 

Multii.  r(.ti(|iii'i-c  •  liy  Naptilroii,  Tti; 
th..  r,in~r  <>\  Um  uicat  Aii;;lo- 
Fr.'iuli     v\ar    in     1^   ■'■     l"'-'- 

Mantua.     Italy,    <aptur(d    liv     Nii- 

|H,lr,,l,,  li-J. 
Mairliaiul,  Na|M.|rnirs  \ali't  at 
M.  ll.lriia.  Hi'.':  !■>  NaimlrciirM 
(leathlHd.  471  ;  rctiinuMl  to  St. 
l|,.l,.,ia  to  iMort  Napolron's 
liodv  to  Kiaiiiv,  ts.").  isii. 
Maicn-o,  Italy.  Hattl.'  of,  liT-i:!*- 
Maiir  l.oiii-r,  l-aiiprcsM.  lirr  lir^t 
tli;^ht  Iioin  Napolioii.  tit:  in 
lliuht  aL'ain  troiii  Napolron,  I'-'l; 
h.'r  thinl  iKi^l'l  ti'om  Napolrou, 
27  I  .  lor  Urtrothal  to  Na|iolfon, 
2'.m  .'iti4  ;  her  mania;:'-  ami  jour- 
ney to  I'aris,  :!i)4-:iO!t;  liirtli  ami 
christrniiii.'  ot'  Kiti;:'  of  Kome, 
310-:U:!-.  surprised  liy  Napo- 
leon on   liis  return   Ironi   itussia, 

3ti(l;     invested     W  itll     the    reLieney 

in     1S14.    :iS.');     lier    Hiuiit    from 
Paris,   'M'- :    carried   oil'   to    .\us- 
tria,  400 :   easily  alienated  from 
Najioleon,  4()'.»:  lier  letter  on  Na- 
poleon's   death,    477;     ner    mor- 
ganatic marriage  to  Count  Noip- 
perjr,  477:   her  opposi  ion  to  the 
recejition     of     Napoleon's    heart, 
477,  47S:  her  ne,;:leet  of  her  son, 
480,    4«1 ;    her    third    marriaire, 
48;i;   her   death,  48:i;    her  tond), 
4S4. 
Marmont,     Marshal,     reseued     Na- 
poleon   at    Areole,    .58:    at    Ulm, 
1110:    his   antecedents,   247,   248; 
on   Napoleon  as  a  lo\er,  282:  at 
the   fall   of   I'aris   in    1814,  :i!t:i ; 
at  th."   lirst  alidication,  ;i'.l7  :   d< 
scrihed    to    Kinu    of    Home    Na- 
poleon's eanipai^'ns.  470. 
Massena,   Marshal,  his  tirst  meet- 


ing with  Xapoleon,  4ti :  his  nut 
eedents,    247,    24s ;     at     .\sper 
2711,    277. 
.Melas,    (ieneral.    defeated    hy    N 

pcihon    at    Marerij...    12'.i. 
Meneval.       ri.iron      de,      succeodi 

r.ourrieiine.    I'i2. 
Metternich,     Mme.,     reieivin'.'    .1 
sephine's    ])roposal     that     .M;ii 
Lo\iisi'     marry      Naiioleon,     2' 
:iuo. 
Metternidi,      I'rinee,     |)lnttinL' 
mai-r\     .Marie     Louise    to    Na| 
leon,  2!i'.l    :!li2  ;    his  famous  iiiti 
liew   with    Napideon  at  Dresih 
liti'.i,    .'i70;     plotting    to    aliiiiM 
Marii'     Louise     fiom     N'a|iiilei 
40'.t;   eominissioned  iiy   Krami; 
to  explain  to  the   King  of  Koi 
the   downfall    of    Napoleon,  47 
master     of     the     Holy     Alliaii 
48.-). 
Moncey.  Marshal,  his  antereden 
247,    248;    at    the    fall    of    I'a 
in    1S14,   3!i.i:    at    the   liurial 
Napoleon   in   the   Invalides,  4^ 
his  tond),  487. 
Monroi'.  .lamea,  negotiating  for 
[uirehase  of   Louisiana,   144-1 
Montalivet,   ^L  do,  a  count  of 

Empire,  282. 
Montdienu,  Count,  French  c( 
niissioner  at  St.  Helena,  400, 
^Llntenott.■,  Italy,  Battle  of,  if 
Montereau,  France,  Battle  of,  .": 
IMontesquieu,    Mme.    de,    govcrc 

of   the    King  of   Rome,   31  :i. 
Montholon,    Count   de,   joined 
poleon   in   St.   Helena  exile,  4 
his     attendance     at     Longw. 
4(i2;     hy    the    death     hcd,    ■ 
471. 
Montholon,  Coi;ntess  de,  her  ii 
riage    objected    i.;    hv    Napol 
4(11  ;    returned    to    Kurope   f 
St.   Helena,  4tiS. 


INDKX 


515 


4t'p :  Ills  aiil' 
;     lit     .\>|rrii. 

■Htrd    liy    N:i 

c,      aunn'ccliii 

n'( civiiv.'    .lo- 

thiit     Miiric 

il|M]lr(ill,      -J.''''. 

plcittiiiL:    to 

li^c    to    Na|"i 

laiiuius  iiiti  r 

III  at  Dri'silni. 

ii     to     alirlliltr 

'111  Na|»ilniii. 
I  li\  Friiii'is  1 
Kiiil;  III  Kdiiii' 
<a|)i)lcoii.  47ii; 
loly    Alliaiur, 

is  antcri'iliiit^, 
fall  of  I'ari^ 
the   burial   ut 

[iivalidfs,  4^7; 

itiatini;  for  th.' 
dana,  144-141;. 
a  count  of  tlu- 

French    I'imi- 
H.'lrna,  4rifi. 
liattlo  of,  4><. 

Battle  of,  3Sn. 

di',    povoriu'ss 

t^oiiie,   31:!. 

(If,   joined  Na- 

l.^na  exilo,  4.')li; 

at     Lopu'woiiil. 
■at!      bed,    470, 

38  ue,  her  inur- 
3  by  XupoK-on. 
o    Kurope  from 


Mniitiliirail,  I'r.itiie,  Hattle  <if, 
:is'.t. 

Moore,  Sir  .Inlni,  his  exprdilion 
airainst  Napnlenii,  .llH 

Mm  can,  (Imrral,  liis  \  irtory  at 
lloliiiilindeii,  l:!.'!;  dei  limil  to 
enter  r.ourlioii  plot  aj,'aiii--t  Na- 
poleon, lii:>;  liaiiislied  to  llie 
Tnited  States  liy  Napoleon,  Kit; 
in  till-  eaniiiai;.'n  of  l.sl:i,  ;17_'; 
his  death,  ;!".">,  li'ti. 

.Mortier.  Marshal,  bis  anteeedeiits. 
J47.  •i4H:  at  the  full  of  Paris 
III    I.SM.   ;i'J3. 

Moseow,  lUissia,  the  burning  of, 
;f4:i-341. 

Mt.    'labor,     Palestine,     P.attir    of, 

iul-io;j. 

Muiron,     Colonel,     with     Napoleon 
at    'loulon,    33:    died    in    deienee 
of  him  at  Areole,  5S;  seeiie  eoiii- 
nieiiiorated  on  Areli  of  Triumph, 
■J.')4;    Napoleon   thouj:ht   of   tak- 
Jul:    his    name    after    Waterloo, 
4.".3. 
Murat,  Marshal,  with  N'apoleon  in 
the  desert,  '■^2:  his  niarriaue  with 
Caroline   .     naparte,  ir)7:  at  the 
iiattle    of    Austerlitz,    'JOl).    uOl  ; 
ireated    Prince,    21.');    at    Iiattle 
nf    I'.ylau,   ■23.');    his   antecedents, 
^17,     24S;     aiijiointed     Kinj;    of 
Naples,   2(i7;    seized    Home,   27'.": 
at     nicetin;,'    of     Xajiolcon     and 
Marie   Louise,   306;    with   Napo- 
li  nil    in   the   invasion  of   Russia, 
.'(3  1:     on     the     Russian     retreat. 
3.")7:    at   the   Rattle   of    Dresden, 
.".7  i :     lietrayed     Xapoleou,    3S4 ; 
his  death,  452,  4.")3. 
Naples,    Kinrrdom    of,    brought    to 
terms  by  N'apoleon,  -S'i:  bestowed 
upon   .losepli  Bonaparte  by   Na- 
P  ileon,    213:     its    crown    trans- 
ferred to  Murat,  207. 


N.vroi.n'N 

Hirlh    mill    Youth 

I'.irth,  3,  4;  Corsican  rcxolu- 
tion,  t.  'i .  the  siil>|UL;at  ion  of 
Corsica,  t'l;  Napohnrrs  mother,  tl; 
his  footer  mother,  ti:  his  boyish 
temper.  7  :  iiis  birtliid;ice  and 
Ajaciio  descrili"d,  7  11;  hoy- 
liood  battles.  11.  12:  at  m  hool  in 
Ajaecio,  It:  iit  si-lionl  in 
I'ricnm',  13-17:  barniiiL;  rnnrli, 
It;  his  iiatrcd  i.I  l-'ram  e  and 
his  Corsican  patriotism,  lii; 
Hrienne  to-day,  17-1'J:  at  tiie 
Kcote  Militait^e,  Paris,  P.l~21; 
Rourrieniie.  his  scl.oolniate  at 
Hrienne,  17:  Peceadeue  and 
Phelip[ieaii\,  his  schoolmates  at 
Kcole  Militiiire,  20:  inlliienccd 
by  revolutionary  [ibilosopliy, 
20:  examined  by  La  Place,  and 
his  low   standin;.',  21. 

In  till-  .1  mill  iinil  tin  I'l  laJii- 
tion 
Ooin^  to  his  rei.'iment  on  bor- 
rowed money,  22;  X'alence.  bis 
first  post,  described,  22:  as  sub- 
lieutenant, livin".'  on  !?2<)  a 
month.  22,  23;  his  tirst  sweet- 
lieart.  Mile.  Colombier,  23;  his 
readinf.'  and  studies,  and  liter- 
ary etforts,  23-2.");  his  dexotion 
to  the  doctrines  of  Rousseau,  24  : 
meditated  suicide,  24:  on  duty 
at  Auxonne.  and  bis  privations 
there,  2.);  advocating;  the  revo- 
lution in  Corsica,  2.');  promoted 
to  tirst  lieutenancy,  2(i ;  secre- 
tary of  a  revolutionary  club,  2l) : 
lieutenant  colonel,  Corsican  na- 
tional <;uard,  20:  be<:inninK  of 
a  life  Ion;;  quarr^d  with  I'o/zo 
di  I'oru'n.  20;  dismissed  from  the 
French    army,   20;    at    Paris    in 


511. 


INDKX 


thr  i;r\"luti..ri.  JT;  nstornl  to 
tlir  iinnv  iiiiil  ;l|.I"iillti'il  rilplu'm, 
2^;  lii^-  lir-t  ;i.ti\r  -.rivi.r.  'iS : 
hiH  l,iv;nli  uitli  ''•i"li-  -^-  •' 
Frrnrhiiiiiti  at  l.iM.  •.:'';  I'^ii- 
islird  from  ('..r-irii.  -J'.'.  -W:  <  "r- 
siciui  li.\alty  to  111-  iMriii„ry,  :!>•■ 

7/,,     l/.Ni   o;i    //-i-.s'  '""'■■ 

A  iHinilli'.-^  r.  I'uLirr  ill   Fran.''. 
:?1  ;   lit  the  sii'^to  ot    Touloii,  :i'- 
.T4:    liriL'iiiru-r    -riicval.    :i  I ;    iin 
prisoned    and    r.  lease  .1,    :!•> :     oi 
diT.'d    to    -WAkry     and     droiiiin' 


from    till'    army    tin-    saiii' 


dav. 


:i.');  thr  rc\idutioii  of  the  Kitli 
Xriidcmiaire,  :;.v:iT  ;  'lis  im'rt- 
ini.'  with  .lo-r,,liiiir.  4J-.  -nirral- 
iii-.liiif  of  111'-  Army  of  thr  In- 
terior, i:;:  his  miirria;;!',  U.  i.') ; 
{.vneral-iii-ihicf  of  tlie  Army  of 
Itah.  li'>-.  his  [dan  of  atiipaiL;n, 
47:  with  the  army,  li  •.  his  first 
vietorv.    4S:    his    lirst    treaty   of 

peaee."    4!t;     a     h si.k     liride- 

{iroom,     4!i:     hy     the     hrid-e     of 
Lddi.   .'ill.   .">!  ;    aei  laimed   ■'Little 
Corporal,"  ''l  :   in  the  cnekpit  of 
F.nrope.    :,1:    his    treaties    with 
the    I'ope   and    the    Kini.'  of    Na- 
jdes.    .'lii;    rejoined    liy    dosephine. 
,-i4:    liattles    of    Ciisti^.dione    and 
l.onato,  .->.■>:    his  narrow  esc  aj'es 
from    capture.    .-):.;    ihfeated    the 
Austrians   in   the    Tyrol.  .'>ii :    >•''- 
treated    from    the    .'>•    trians   at 
Caldiero,    .'ilJ:    Battle   of    Areol', 
.-,7-.")'.i:   Battle  of  Hivoli.  (1(),  01: 
capture  of  .Mantua,  ti' ;  invasion 
of   Austria.  Il2-t'i4  :    arnii-^ticc  at 
Leohen,    •i4:    his    lirst    court    at 
Milan    and     Montehilio.    ti.')   r,!l; 
handsomely       remenihered        his 
mother  in' the  lirst  hour  of  vie 
tory.  tiS:  his  dislike  of  the  name 
Napoleon,    li'.l;    appointed    Bour- 


rieiine    his    seiTetary.    fiO;     tear 
in;.'  do\Mi  thrones  and  settin;.'  up 
repiilili.s.    Til.    71  ;     the    loot     oi 
Italy.    7  1  ;    the    I'eace   of   Campo 
I'ormio.    7-. 

/„    /;,,    Orifiit 

his  expedition  to  F.'-'ypt,  "3, 
71  ;  the  voya're,  and  the  eapturu 
of  Malta.  7.'>.  Tti'.  elude, 1  Nelson, 
:U:  lamhd  in  K,i:>p'.  '"•  ""^^  •'* 
,\|e\andiia.  7--.  T'l ;  the  niar.li 
to    (  airo.    7'.'~sl  ;    the    Battle   ei 

the      I'.ialllid-.     S.^--<,-,;      his     licit 
ln>t     in     the     |!,ltt|e    of    the     Nile, 

sH;    hi,    rule    in    K;zypt.    s7-!>0; 
liis  projei  t  for  a  Sue/  Canal,  88; 
Sultan    of    Ttwkey   declared    war 
a-aiii>t     him.     81" ;     across     the 
de-ert.   Ml    '.14 :    capture   of   .latla 
and    ma-saire   of    prisoners,    1»4- 
'.i(i:    advance   into    Syria.   !t7-n9; 
Sic-e  of   A.Tc.  '.17-111'';    I'.attle  of 
Mt.     'I'ahor.     liil    lo:!:     in     Na/- 
ar''th.     H>:;;     his     retreat     from 
Acre,    lu7:    in    tin'    jila^'ue    hos- 
pital at  .lalfa,   li>7:   the  jioison- 
in'_'    story.    lUS;     his    return    to 
Cairo,    Ki^:    Battle   of    Ahoukir. 
lus,  imt;  his  lliirht  from  Kjrypt' 
in'.i;   landid  in   France.  110:  tri- 
umphal  jirot't-css  to   Paris,   im. 
HI. 

The   Consulate 

The  situation  in  France  or 
Na|ioleon's  return  from  Kj-'vpt 
111  ;  the  idot  for  the  overthrov 
of  the  Directory,  111,  H-:  ^'a 
poleon  niol'hed,  IB!:  cleared  tli 
legislative  hall  with  grenadicr> 
11.!:  a  provisional  consulntt 
1  l:!;  till'  scene  ut  St.  Cloud,  113 
reoriranisin;,'  the  jiovirnnionl 
114.  IB");  nunirninsr  for  Wasl 
in^jton,    lUi:    stealing    into    tli 


TXDEX 


517 


-•■ttiti;,'  U|i 
r     Icjllt      ..I 

111    Caiuii'i 


Ill    Nclsdll. 

77.  7*^:  at 
tlir  iiiiirih 
linttl.'  "1 
;  Ilis  ll.Ml 
[  tlic  Nil''. 
|.t.     S7-'.MIl 

C.uiiil,  f>8: 
ilarrd    u.ir 

lIlTdSS       till' 

re  of  .latl.i 
sdiicrs,  !'l- 
riii.  '.t7-'-i!l; 
;-,  liMttl.'  "i 

;•.  ill  N:i/ 
trciit  fiiiiii 
jilauiir  Iii'^- 
the    liiii^nll- 

1  ri'tnni  t" 
(if  Alionl<i.'. 
from  Ku'vpt. 
c...  110:  tri 
I'aris,   111". 


Frano'  «" 
from  K^-'vpt. 
w  ovcrthniw 
II.  112;  N"a- 
;  clfurcd  till' 
I  grenadier!'. 
1  consulate, 
.Cloud,  Ii:i: 

iTovtrnnielit. 
ff  for  Wash- 
ing   into    the 


I  mil  rir^j.   110,    117;   n  l<'i:ac.v  nf 
\^ar,    1 11';    fnidiriL'   Kuni|i<',    l-H; 
missing      th.'      Alps,      llS-12ti: 
phinniiig  the  liattle  nf  MarenL'o, 
127  ;   11  defiat  turned   tci  \ii  tnry, 
lis    l:il  ;      Austria     lirnu;.'ht      I'l 
trruis,       l:!:!;        IJiL'liind       made 
praec,  l;i:!,  i:i4  ;  liaiiits  and  eliar- 
aiteristies  of   the     first  (.'unsul. 
i:i.")-i;}S;  rcunitiiiL'  the  Kiuntry, 
l.'iS;  restoring  reii^non  and  niaU 
ing   tin'   L'oneordat    with    i{onie. 
i;iH-140;    formulating   tlie   Cod.' 
Napoleon,     1411;     .dected    C'<in-\il 
tiir    Life,    141:    elected   I'resideiit 
of   Cisalpine   Ilepuhlic,   142:    l.a 
layette's    protest,     142:     saK'    of 
Louisiana,    14:1-1411;     remendier- 
iiii:    old    friends,     147-14!!;    ttu- 
mnsular   court   at   the   T\iilerirs 
luiil     at     Malmaison,     14!)-13."i; 
the  man  disrrilied,  154,  15.');  '\ 
am    not    like    otlier   men,"    l')7; 
his  advance  to  tin'  tliroms   L")'.i 
Hiii;    liourhon   lirihes,   and   jilots 
a;.'ainst    liiin,    KiO-lOO;    an    at- 
temi)t  to  assassinate  liini,    Kil  ; 
hetrayed     by     Hourrienne,     1(12, 
in.!;    more    Boiirhon    plots    and 
death  of  Duke  d'Knghien,   Iti:!- 
HKl;     death    of    the     UepuLlic, 
lilil. 

/.■(/i/.cror 

Proclaimed  Kmperor,  108 : 
■  Tutting  gold  braid  on  repub- 
I  ans,"  Itl'.t;  cliiiosing  Charle- 
niaLTie  as  iinj)erial  ancestor, 
171);  preparing  for  coronation, 
17(1,  171;  r(digious  marriage 
witli  .Tose]diine,  172,  17.'i:  the 
ce.ionation,  17;3-1"G;  crowned 
King  of  Italy,  176;  remodelled 
Switzerland  into  modern  repub- 
lic, 17',)-  stormy  scene  with  Brit- 
ish ambassador,   17!*,   180;   plan 


of  invadin-.'  Kmrland,  180-1S.1; 
reeei\ed  olfcr  of  steaiiilioat  nnd 
sidimarini'  fniiii  Lultmi,  Isd; 
loti'^'  --trn'i'.'lr  to  ciepiiT  Knu'- 
land  on  thr  land,  IM  :  nuse  of 
th.'  Napoleonic  «;ir».  is.'i;  rain- 
pai-n  ef  rim.  I'^iii-LH;  the 
(li-and  Army  described.  Is7  -L'n; 
entry  into  Vienna,  I'.H,  I'.i2;  Imw 

Napoleiitl    ehose    the    licld    of    Aus- 

teriit/.  I'.l.'i-lli."i;  liis  plan  of 
battle,  r.ltl;  the  ni^tit  befme, 
1H7,   I'.'S;   the  SiMI  of  Austcrlit/, 

l!tS;  tlie  victory,  I!t'.(-2(I2;   n t- 

'ng    with     l'"rancis    of     Austria, 
2(1.'!;    rcti'ivcd    \'en:.>   from   Aus- 
tria,   204;    imperi.il    nnitdimak- 
ing    and    se[>aration    of    .lerome 
ami    iSetsy     I'aterson,    20(1-212: 
king   making',   2l:i  217;    founded 
Confederation      of      the      Lhini', 
210;     confiuest     of     Prussia     in 
I.s0(i-Hn7,    220-2:17;    liattle    of 
Jena.    221-224:    at    Sans    Souci 
and   the  tomb  of   Frederiik   the 
Great,    224,    225;     freed     I'olish 
serfs,  2:!0:  Battle  of  Kylau,  2:i;5  - 
2;!.");    Battle    of    Friedland,    2:i(l, 
2;J7;    the    Peace    of    Tilsit,    2:i.S- 
245;  his  marshals,  247-251 ;  how 
ho    rewarded     them,    240,    250; 
marshals    contrasted,    251;     his 
ambition    ami    |ilans   for    Paris, 
252-25,1;  laying  out  streets  an.l 
getting  up  monuments.  25,'i   25(1: 
dealing    with    poor    and    unem- 
ployed, 250;   constructing  canals 
and   highways    for   the    Fmpire, 
257-250;  emancipating  the  .lews, 
250;    neu'lecting    popular    educa- 
tion,  250;    attitude   toward    art 
and  the  opera,  250,  2(10;  his  im- 
mense  correspondence,  200;    his 
handwritinir,       2(10;       dismissed 
Talleyrand.    201  ;    abolished    the 
Tribunate.     201  :     his     i  nances, 


.1^ 


i\i>i:\' 


wards  fi>r  nil  kiiuls  of  imiits, 
2(>2:  lii«  c  iiii>iiiMiii'_'  <iirr;,'itH, 
2{y'. :  hi'*  (li'spnt  i^iii,  Jli.'i. 

The  Empin    Wnnint) 

NapoIcoti'H  first  (lounwiinl 
hti'pf,  Jiil;  his  (li'tTfvs  ayuiii-t 
Aiiicrican  .-liips,  viH.')-.  Iiin  ov.r- 
ttirow  111  l'iprtiii:iirsc  tlir<iii>  , 
If'i't,  2iiti;  IiIm  sii/urc  of  Home, 
2i;ti;       aiipoilltcd      .lc}Si|lil       IJnIKl- 

\vAx{<-   Kin;;  (if  Spuiii.  ■JtHi.  -tl7  . 
Murat,  Kin-.' of  Niiplis.  liiiT  ;  his 
(liliisiiiii,     UiiT  :      <  haih  iiL'id     hy 
rcvcdiitioii    ill    S|j,uii,    Jt;?  ■iVii; 
his    rciinioii    with    the    C'/ar    at 
i:rfuit,     -li'.':     •  iitrrcd     Madrid, 
27il;    |jursiicd    Sir    .Inhri     Mndri', 
270,  271  :  ri'turiird  to  I'.iii-.  -71  ; 
(  a>l;rht    hitwccii    two    tur^,    272 ; 
his      WaL'raiii      rainpaiuii.     272- 
27!l;   wounded  at  Katishon,  272-. 
iiis   soliloiiuy    hcfori'    the    Ca-tlr 
of   !)(  rnst.in,  27:i,  274;   his  .ap- 
tiirr    of    Viiima.    271:     arr.st.d 
and     (hpnrted     I'o]"'     I'ins     \'1I, 
27lt,  2M»:    his   praii'  treaty  with 
Austria,  2S0.  2Sl  ;   his  court,  his 
opinions   ahout    \v(jiiiiii    and    his 
relations    with    them,    2S2  2'.'1  : 
sou    I'orn    to    him    hy     Ideonure 
llevel,  2'.iil;   sou  horu   to  hiui  by 
Muie.    Walewsha,   2'.M);    his   reso- 
lution to  seek  an  heir;   his  tron- 
hles   with    .Iose|jhine"s   (  reditors, 
21)3;  her  usefulness  to  him,  2H;!- 
2'.»r);    annoimeed   divorce  plan  to 
her,  2'J.'>,  2'.>t);   his  settlement  on 
lier,   2l)ti,   2!>7;    the   divorce   and 
partin;.',      2<.t7,     2'.)8 ;      sek'ctinR 
Miirie    Louise    for    second    wife, 
2'.t'J,     :iiiii;     the    in;irriaL.'e,    304- 
3M!l;   at   the   liirth   and   ( hristen- 
'n\<X  of  the  King  of    Uouie,  310- 
313. 


7'/ii    Hiissiiin   lUnnnti  r 

\'.\i\  inllueiiie  ot  divorce  an( 
Hecond  inarria;.'e,  31'i;  his  dn^' 
iind  manners,  3l.'>,  31(1:  his  uu 
toi  r.iiy,  31C,,  317;  his  wDrk  tin 
islied,  31H,  3l!l;  his  women  en. 
mies,  32(1;  his  seizure  of  Ohhn 
hur;:,  320;  his  estran;.'enieii 
from  the  IVar,  32(»,  321  ;  hatll.'. 
hy  American  ships,  :121;  evil  ci 
feds  of  his  eontinent:il  system 
321,  322:  his  attitude  towar- 
the  (hunh,  322.  323;  his  ur 
nexation  of  llolhiiid.  323;  hi 
emharrassmi  nt  over  the  sclct 
lion    of    lieriiiidotte   to   he   crow 


prii 


lei 


of   S\v,(hn,   323,   324;   hi 


annexation    of    Swedi-^h    I'onma 

rania,    324;    his    sui  i cssful    rul 

ill     his     lanpire,    32  f,    32.);    hi 

MHiral     deterioration,     32."i-327 

his    fatalism,    .321;,     :'.27 ;     a^'ai 

eaii;:ht    Ijctwi'en    two    foes,    32> 

his    departure    for    the    Russia 

(ampai;;n,    3211;    his   eon;!rcs8  < 

so\erei:;ns  at   l)res(h'n,   3211;   h 

army  of   invasion,  330;   crossir 

the  "frontier,  330-332;   no  lonyi 

tlie     man     of     Austerlit/,     33: 

f/reetcd   hy   disasters  at  the  oil 

set,    333   .33.5;    hefori'    Sm(dciis 

33.'),    330;    pluniiin^'    deeper    in 

the   wilds,   33(1;    at  the   Hattle 

Horodino,  337.  33S:    het.iie  .\h 

cow,    3311-3  tl  ;     tin'    hurnin^' 

the   city,    342   314:    souvenirs 

his    stay    at    the    Krendin,   34 

340:    his    retreat    from    Mosco 

3.')0-3n(l;  --It  is  hut  a  step  frn 

the   tiuhlime   to   the    ndiculou: 

350. 

Orrrthriu-  and  Ahdicntinn 

'•All  Cossack  or  all  rcpul) 
can,"  301;  his  futile  struilj 
with  the  I'oiie.  30.3,  304;  raisi 


iM)i:.\ 


divoni'  anil 
.■> ;   his  (ircs-i 

iU'i  ;     ills    llll- 

lir*  work  liii 

WiillirM    I  tlr 

I.  <)t  itUUu 
•Htran^'i'iiicMt 

:V1\  :  l>iitM 
:!J1  ;  evil  cf- 
lit  ill  syjitiiu. 
tiiili'  toward 
•23;  his  an- 
111,    :V2:!:    hii 

I-  Ilir  ■.ilcL'- 
to    lie   iTdwii 

;li«li  I'oiniiu- 
(iissful  ruh- 
M,    .il'y;    his 

II,  :f2,VHJ7: 

:'.J7  :     ;i,LMiii 

n      Iocs,     ;!JS; 

{\\r  Russian 
^  iiin;:rfss  oi 
Icn,   ;«!•;   his 

;i;i();  cTossiiij; 
V2 ;  no  loiiL'ir 
tcrlit/,    :i:i:!: 

H  lit  till-  out- 
ifc  Smolensk, 
.'  (li'c|n'r  iiitii 
tin-  Hatth'  oi 
;  hcfort'  Mos- 
t-  burnin?  of 
soiivfnirs  of 
vrciiilin,  :!44- 
'roiii  Mdsi'o.v, 
t  a  st<  j'  Iniiii 
f   ridituluus, 

r  all  rciml'li- 
utile  Stnl'.'l-'li' 
t,  :j(i-4 ;  rai^iiii; 


a   new   army    in    ISl.l,  .1(14,  3(15; 
his  Sa\i.ii  eaiii|paif,'n,  .•!(lli ;  iit  the 
IJattle    III     l,iit/en,    .'(lit);     at     the 
iiattle     (if     liaiit/eri.     lUu  :     his 
^Tief    at    the    ,hath     ef     Diiroc, 
■i"i'<;    the    lat.,1    tniee,    :tt;s;    his 
interview     uitli     Mctternieh     at 
Unwleii,  3li!t,  37l»;    Kn'.'lan.l   his 
most  lonstunt  for,  370,  :i7I  ;  .ml 
of  thi'  trucf,  371  :  iit  the   li.iiih 
«if  Dresden,  373  37.'> ;  ov.rthrciun 
at    the    Iiattle    of    I.eipsie.    ,t7t) 
3S1;    his    iinii\ailiiiu'    ell'orts    to 
raise  another  army  in  Is]  t,  :i^-2- 
:i>i-'>:     liher.ited     (he     !',,,„.     ,n„l 
I'erdiiiand    ol     .vpain,    .isj;     i,;^ 
last    hours    with     his    son.    3s."), 
•"St;:    at    the    Battle   cif    iirieime,' 
3S(_;;    at    liatth.   of    l.a    Knthiere, 
3S7;    at   the    Battles   uf   Chuinii- 
raiihert,      Moiitiiiirail,     Chateau 
Thierry    and     Miiniercau,    3S!); 
re|iulseil  l,y   jiliic  her,  3!l(>:  iirarlv 
o\er\vhelnied    by    Si  liw  ar'.nhiir'i,' 
:it   Areis  sur   Auhe,   :!!lll;    his   hl^t 
'ard,  3;hi,  ;i!ii  ;   hj^  ,„nmian,l   to 
-a\c    the     Kinf,'    of    liome    fcun 
'apturc,   3!I2;    rncinp  to   the  d,.. 
I'.nr,.  ,,f   Paris,  ."{93 :   at   (our  <le 
France,    :!!t3-3!).-) ;     at     r-nntaine- 
hhau,   .'iliil;    ahandoiii'd    \,y   ni.^r- 
-lials    and    Per\  itors,    ;{;i7,    ;i(N ; 
his    ahdieation,     3tt7,     3!tS ;     jit- 
tenijited    suicide,    3!1S,    rMl :    his 
farewell   to  the  (iiiard,  3li!i:    his 
ionrney    to    Klha,    ;f!l!l-|i)ii ;     lij^ 
exile    anil    reiL'n    at     Klha.    and 
I'lha   to-day,   4()2-4rj. 

'''     II  )i  ml  nil   DiifiH 

'Ihe  Allies  violate  Treatv  of 
Fontaiiielileail,  413,  411  :  "  his 
"i.'ht  from  i:iha,  4 14-4  Hi;  his 
I  Hiding'  in  France.  41i;-41s:  his 
'  i  iridi  thronph  tho  Maritime 
'     ^  41S-42(i:   joined  hv  'Mean 


\  aliean"  at  Di^-ne,  l_>(l;  •  W  ho 
will  shoot  his  (leneral?"  121, 
4-'_';  his  entry  into  (Jrenobh', 
4l'_',  4_':i;  into  Lyons,  423;  df- 
nounci'd  as  an  oiitluw,  423:  won 
Marshal  NVy,  423;  ui,'«in  in  the 
Tiiihrie.s,  421:  the  li-htnin- 
•  han^'i'  anion;:  the  courtiers. 
42.'.,  42ii:  hi-  army,  427:  foolini' 
lUiieher  and  Wellin-ton,  427. 
42S:  '^nnxii  to  tli-  front,  42M. 
42!i:    his    fatal    he-itamv.    420 

431:        at        the        |;,,ttle       nl'      I.I.JIU. 

430:  his  lir-t  -iidit  of  a  lirilish 
soldier  ill  tueiity  years,  l.il, 
■132:  at  the  Iiattle  of  Waterloo," 
132-1411:  hi-  ili-ht  from  the  Uia- 
a-ter,    in;.    U7. 

I II    ''(/;/( i  it)/ 

His  liiial  ilefhronenicnt,  44S- 
■It'i:  his  retirement  to  .\Ialmai- 
Hon,  41!U4.-il;  dehatin-  hi-,  fu- 
ture. 4.".().  4.-. I  ;  |ireferred  to  aur- 
rend.r  to  Kn^'land,  (..I  :  his  re- 
jection ,,f  plans  for  his  escape. 
■lol,  toJ:  hi-  la-^t  -tep  on   Irench 

soil,      4.-,J;       lii^ 


reasons    lor    pre- 


ferring: to  throw  himseii  upon 
Fnirland,  4."):i:  his  app.al  to 
•ieor-e  \\\  I.-.3:  his  si. , -render 
t'>  <apt;iin  Maitl.and  of  tho 
Hil''r.,i,li,j,i.  ).-,.-,:  |,i^  arrival  in 
'iorhay.  (.■..-.:  in  Plymouth  h:ir- 
lioiir.  4.-).-):  recvived  sentence  of 
lianishnient  to  m.  Ilele,,,,.  4,-,,^; 
liis  companions.  4.-.t; ;  hi-  trans' 
fer  to  the  Xurtlnniil,,  rhnul.  |.""ii;: 
his  last  ;:limpsc  of  hYMiice,'  4."i7  i 
his  life  on  the  XnrtliK.iili.rlinnl, 
4.")7:  his  lir-t  \  iow-  of  .'st.  He- 
lena. 4,)7;  the  islands  i„  the 
\oyai:t>  of  his  lif,..  4.-,S;  st.  He- 
lena descrihcd,  4."..S.  45!);  |,is  |if,. 
at  "The  liriars,"  400;  r.on;:woo(l 
descrihcd,  4(;(i.  4,;,  .   j,;^  stmnw 


520 


INDEX 


court,  mi,  II'.JI;  \\'\-*  stni;:;;!. -* 
Willi  till-  l,lit;lisli  liini.'iiii;.'i',  111-', 
4ti:) ;  hJH  ^'Diiil  rt'lutiniiK  with  tli<' 

witli  Sir  lhicU"ii  l..i«i.  tU»-470- 
tlir  ilTiirts  t"  prcviiit  liiH  <«eaiH', 
4tl.'i.  4ril'>;  liin  (Irliuiicr  of  tin- 
jroxiriiTiiiiitrt  of  liiiro]!!',  4liti, 
4t»7  ;  Ills  L'iirilrniiiu,  1(17;  his  (lis- 
t'a«<'  iiii(»l.iki  Ills  ili,ij,'iu)si(l,  470; 
bin  last  liuuis  aiut  dcatli,  470, 
471;  caiiitT  (lisclcwcd  by  the  au- 
to|is\,  J71;  Ills  liiirial  in  an  iiu- 
liiarkrd  trravf,  471,  47-;  liis 
body  fonvcvi'd  til  I'raiKf  anil  cii- 
toiiil«'d  in  tli>'  MnalidiM,  4s.')- 
4S7  ;  hin  tdiiili  clrs<  ril.i  d,  1^7" 
4SI1;  soilMiiirs  iif  liiiii  ;it  llic 
InvalidfH,  4S7  ;  lii^<  lii''  r<\iiuril, 
4!MI-I!t.l. 

Na|i(.|>oii    II.    ,-rr    H'.ini-,    Kiiii.'    of 

Na|Hil.nii  111,  at  tlir  r.attir  of 
SiillVrinn.  ."ill;  imiiri^innid  in 
.li'i-oiiii'  llciiui|);irti''rt  lountry  pal 
ari',  Jit;  n  stored  statue  of  Na- 
|iiiiiiin  tn  \  I  ndoiiic  coluinn,  2.")4  ; 
ins  '   ri,"iri:i4  to  his  niotlur,  40) 

Narlioiiin'.  Mine,  di',  hiT  disdain  o. 
Xa|inli'on,  "J"^."). 

N'a/.arith,  I'alistini',  visitrd  Ijv 
Napniion.   lo:i. 

NiM|i|iiri,',  Cniint,  aidiil  to  ali<'n:itc 
Mario  Louisi-  from  N'apolcon, 
4011;  hiHanic  lur  iiiorfzanatic  hus- 
hand,  477;  his  drath,  4S:i. 

Nelson,  Horatio,  lost  an  eyp  at 
(alvi,  :it):  eluded  hy  Napoleon 
on  tlie  Mediterranean,  70,  77; 
desiroyed  Napoleon's  lleet  in  tin' 
Battle"  of  tlie  Nile,  SO;  lureil 
away  from  Toulon,  ls2;  his  vic- 
torious diatli  at  Trafal^'ar,   IJIl. 

Nev,  Marshal,  at  Uliii,  l!»!l;  at 
battle  of  Friedland,  •J37;  his 
antecedents,  247,  24S ;  on  the 
Russian    retreat,   ;i,J4-3.J8;    niis- 


underxtood  orders  at  rtiiiit 
;t07  ;  at  the  lirst  'xlicat 
:i!i7  ;  ordered  to  capture  N. 
leon  on  return  from  Klha, 
Hiirr I  iidi  I'rd,  423;  at  Qui 
Hras,  4JH-J.T1;  at  Water 
44_',  444  4».');    hw  d.;ith,    L. 

Nil  hulas     i     of     Russia,     mar 
daii;.'liter  of  (,>uiin   I.ouise,  J 
hi,-,  s.iriasm  en  the  tomb  of 
poleon,    Is  \ 

Nile.  The,  l.;ittle  of,  SO. 

Norway,   anie  \ed   to  Swedm,   : 

01deiihur<r,  Dneheaa  of,  her  l>i 
ilT\>  ■  .iKf  a^'airist  Napoleon,  : 

O'Meara,     Dr.     I'.iins,     Najioh' 
pliysi<ian    at    St.     Ililena, 
111-';    renuived    from    l.oni.'wi 
4ils. 

Oudiiiot,  Marslial,  his  iuiteiedr 
JIT,  ilH;  at  the  first  abdiiat 
.1117  Ills  tomb  in  the  ln\al 
at    I'aris,  4^7. 

Talestine,  Napoleon's  eampaitni 

I'aoli,    I'as(piale,   Coiair;in   ■^•.^ 

in  ehief,    ,") ;     exiled     to    Kni.di 

0;     his    lireaeh     with     Napol 

28. 
Penadeuc,     Pi(  ot    de,     Napole 

sihoolniate    at    the    F.cole    > 

taire,  20;    lighting  Napolcot 

IS13,  372. 
Periirnon.  Marshal,  his  aiitcc'cdi 

247,  24S. 
riieiippeaux,     Napoh'on's     srli 

mate  at  Kcolc  Militairo,  20; 

]iosed  Napoleon  at  Acre,  99; 

deatii,   1(13. 
!'!•.  liegru.  General,  in  the  schot 

r.rieiine,   lit;   in  a  Bourbon 

a^'ainst     Napoleon,     103;     i 

niitted  suicide,  104. 


8    at    Riuib.n, 

(tt  I'Mliciilnni. 
<ii|iliiri'  N,i|H. 
roiii  Kllm,  but 
1;  at,  t^iiiitr. 
at  Wiifirln,,, 
<  il.-.itli,  l."ij. 
isrtia,  inurriid 
II  l.ouisi',  .;4ii: 
u'  tomb  of  N.i 

.  80. 

1)  S\v(>d(n,  ;i^t 

of,   liiT   liitt.r 

\.i]i..|,.,m,  ll'Jii 

vy,     Nu|)oli'.iir-. 

.     Ilil.nii,    4111, 

(in  I     l,<inL;\voo(l, 

lis  iuiti-i  I'll'iit', 
irst  alxlitiitKin, 
1   the  Iiivaliii  s 


rt  canipiUj.ni  in. 

)i  siO:in  ;^i  .1  rul 
■d    to    Knfrlnti'l, 

,vitli     Niqiiili'on. 

<io,  Napolron's 
lie  F.Colt'  Mill- 
ig  NapoUuii  in 

liis  anti'ccdriit-. 

olcon's  si  hiinl 
ilitaire,  20;  op- 
it  Acre,  9!);  hU 

ill  the  Rcliool  iit 
a  liourbon  pl'it 
in,  lG;i;  com 
04. 


TXDKX 


521 


i'ni.in.l. 


i'iiM  VI,  Pope,  IiIh  triici'  with   Na 

'■"I-   ^  II,    l'.,|.,.,  Miakfs  (  onror.bit 
"itli     Nap., Icon,     1:1S-140;     com 
III-'  to  coronation,   172;   insist. •■! 
.11    rcli;.'io,H    marria^fc    lu-twcri 
\.ip.>lcoii    and    .Jos.phinc,     17J, 
17.1;  at  t!n'  coionati.m,  17:j-17»l; 
dolincd     to    annul     Honapartc- 
I'a'crson  niarria^'.'.  'Mi;  lii.s  car- 
dinals    dcport.'.l     \,y     .\ap.d.t,n, 
-'•Iti:  he  lA  arr.i.t.Ml  and  d,  p.,rtiMl 
li.v  N'ap.dcn,  J71»,  i>s();   p.diiical 
'  tr.-ct    of    Mis    refusal    to    annul 
li.in.iliait.   l-aterson       marriage, 
•  1-2;    1118    retaliatj.in    on    Nap... 

Icon,    322,    ;)2;);     ,it      l.,iitai 

lilcau,  3(1.1,  ;{(I4;    lili.rat.d,  .is J; 

appeal. •<!   to  powers   in  liehalf  ..f 

N:M'.>1..,II     .It     St.     ll..leiui.     ICII. 
"!''•     "■""     in,     lS07,    22!t;     hiT 
■  M^  fn  I  li   l,\    Napoleon,  2.')() ;   .i 

littl.'  strip  of,  piined  by   Hiissia 

It  Tilsit,  24.");  ;:rand  I'lii.  by  ot 
Warsaw  forin.il  1,\  Nap.ile.,), 
■  iii'l  bestowed  i.ri  lb.'  KinL:  ..f 
^axony,  24.".;  a  part  of  .Austria's 
i"oli,>b  ]ir..\inii'  transferred  to 
''laml  I  111.  by  .if  Warsaw,  2Si). 
I'  iiiatouski,     .Marshal,     bis     atit.' 

.■dents,  247,  24S;  «itb  Nap..- 
b'.n  on  eve  of  Kiissian  .  aiii- 
I'liLTi.  'MO:  drown. ■(!  at  I.eipsic 
:isl, 

r'-.rtii-al,  Na|i.,!.'on  and  C/ar  de- 
'nniii...!  t..  .bis.'  her  ports 
.i-.iiii.-,t  Kniibuid.  244;  h.T  roval 
tuiiily  banished  by  Xap,,!,.',,,,, 
•.^'i">,  2(ir.;  but  are  resille.l  Iiv 
.Sidney   .'<mitb,   2(1(1. 

P'ltiMka,  Count. 'ss.  im  Mari.' 
Louise's  appi'aranci',  .'li)4 

Po/zo  di  Borjio,  Carlo  .\ndrea.  tb.^ 
h'L'innin^'  of  his  life  Ion..'  .piar- 
T' I  v*ith  Xap.ijeon  .i:  bis 
'•^nty    years'    war     ^    _,n    biiii. 


327;    in    tb.    canipaiffii   of    1813, 
.172;  pro|MiMed  his  removal  fror. 
KIba    to    ,St.     Helena.    414;    at 
UaterbMi,    4;i|;     wounde<l.    44fi; 
his    last     thrust     at     Napoleon. 
Kit);  deinand.d  that  the  Kin;;  of 
lionie    he    forbidd.n    to    niarrv, 
47.'i;    neeiis..d    of    plot  tin;,'    niur- 
<ler  of   Kin;;  of   J'otiie,  47S. 
Prussia,  «lisappoint..l  b.r  allies  in 
iNd.'i,    |M.">;    indiibr,  i,t    to    Ger- 
man  patriotism,  and   trallickin;; 
with  Napoleon,  2lH,  2Ii»;  her  an'^ 
ne\at:  .n    ..f    IIan..v,T.   and    war 
■wth     I.M:,laM,l,    21!»;     con.|mT..d 
I'.v      Napol.^on,      22()-2:!7:      dis- 
trust,.l    by    him,    24.'!.    2J4;    h.T 
'liMM.'Piili.  rm.  lit    at     TiNii.    ■>i\ 
21.". 

l*.M-aiiii,is.    Ilattb'   of   tb.'.   82-8.->. 

<."iatr.'    liras,    ll.l::,.,,,,,,    Dattb-   of, 
I.KI. 

l!-ai,|i.    (;,.,i,.ral.    at     tb,-    JiattI,'    .,f 

Vii-t.rlit/.  2(M:   liis  biimt  r.I.irt 

to   .N'apoh'on,   ,il7. 

li.iniisat,    Mnie.  d,.,   b,.r   ,  baracter- 

isaii,,ii  ,,f  til.'  First  ('..tisul,   l.-)2. 

K.namlin.'.  .Mm.'.,  aunt  .,i  .los," 
piline,  who  arran^'.'.l  her  mar- 
ria;.'.'  to  li.auharnais,  30;  ap- 
proved her  marria.'o  to  Xapo- 
hoii,    14. 

H.'V.'l,  Fl.'.iiinre,  pr.'si'i.t.d  a  son 
to  .N'ap.d.'on.  2!iii, 

Kbin.',  Cnl.'il.rati.m  ..i  tb.'. 
formed  by  .Nap.ilei.n,  21!);  its 
abandonm.'nt  of  Xapoleon,  370. 

Hi.  bill.. nd,  Dii.hess  of,  her  ball  on 
tl \e  ,,t   Waterloo,  42!l. 

I>'iv.,li,   Italy.    Hattle   „f.   (jO,   (11. 

Ilob.'spierr.-.  .Mavimilien,  at  the 
beii;lit  of   power,  .'U. 

no.befau.auld.     Mme.     de     la.    at 


IN'DKX 


Rome,  Kinfr  of.  Iiis  Iiirtli,  christen- 
iti^'  aixl  cliildlu.od,  .■Jlo  314;  his 
hist  hours  with  his  father,  .'isr), 
;t,S(J:  his  f1i;;ht  from  Taris,  ;i!t2; 
carried  off  to  Austria,  4(10;  sepa- 
rated    from     his     MHithiT,     4(1!); 
dreach'd    ],y    tlir    iiKMian'lis   after 
N'apol, 'Oil's  fall,  47;i:   a  pri-dii.r 
in  iiis  jrrandfatherV  palace,  474; 
his  name  dian^'ed,  474,  47.');  cut 
oir  from  succession  to  his  niotli- 
cr's  (lncliy,  47.");  pl,,ts  and  c<iiin- 
ter     ph)ts,     47.".;     his     in(piirics 
ahout  iiis  father.  47t;:  tlie  news 
of  his  father's  deatli,    )7i;,  477; 
til.'   efTorts   to   seat   liim    on    lijs 
fatlier's    throne,    47s,    47!i;    i,]^ 
triiiutes  to  his  fatlier's  memory. 
■1-1.       ISd;      entered       Austrian 
army,  4S0;  his  death,  4m),  4sl  : 
liis  tonil),  484. 
Roustan,      Xa|)oIeon's      manieluke 
liody  servant,  with  him  in  Spain. 
2''!':     "M    the     itiissian    retreat," 
'!-">7;    ahandoned   his   fallen   mas- 
ter  in    lSi4.  .■JDS. 
Russia,  in  the  third  coalition.  18."); 
(h'manded      Kn-land      rccoirnise 
equality    of    |Ia;.'s    at    sea.    244; 
received  a   little  strip  of   {'..huul 
from   Xapoleon,   and    peniii.->i(m 
to    take    Finland    from    .Sweden. 
-).">:  pusliin^r  iier  houndarv  west- 
ward,   .-i.-il,   ;i.'i2;    her   monument 
of    Xapoleon "s    campaign,    .(.'iii ; 
her    memorials,    at    Mos(.iw.    <,( 
N'apoh.on's  repulse,  .344-;{4!) ;  her 
losses    ill    tlie    Napoleonic    caiii- 
paiL'n,   .-i.j!!:    permitted   violation 
of  treaty  plcd^^es  to  Xa|)oleon  at 
his    ahdication.    41.!.     41!:     her 
conimissiomr    to   St.    Helena   re- 
hutlVd   |jy   Napoleon,  4t;(;. 

Sanliaia,   Kin^'dom  of.  made  peace 
with  Naiiideon,  .")(). 


Savary.  Oeneriil.   r.portinLT  to  .N 

poleon  at  .Maren;,'o,   12!) ;  \vat( 

in-;  Uourhon  plotters.   l(i:i,   It; 

returninjr  from   Spain    with   N 

pol.'on,  -.'71  ;    his  dcspairin-,'   I, 

ter  to  him  in   |s|  t,  ;;!i|  ;   parti' 

from    him    v,n    the    Itilhrniihu 

4.")(i. 

Navony.    rais.'d    to  a   kin-dom    1 

Napoh'on,    i!l;{;    received    ;rrar 

duchy  of  Warsaw  from  him,  24 

Saxony,    Kin-    of,    Jiost   of   Napi 

Icon  on  the  eve  of  Ru.ssian  can 

paiirn,    .!_'();     at    the     liattle    ( 

Dresden,  .'t75. 

Sthwar/enher-.  Prince,  in  the  can 

paie-n  of   is  14,  :iS,-,:   deceived  h 

a    Napoleonic    ruse.    ;iss;    stat^ 

rtTcd    hy    Napoleon    at    Mont( 

reau,   .'iS!);    nearly   overwheltnei 

-Napoleon    at    Arcis    Sur     \uh, 

3tlO. 

Smith.  Sidney,  commander  of  En- 
lisli  lleet  at  Acre.  (IS;  taunt iiu 
Napoleon,  111,-,;  sent  Kuroj.ear 
newspapers  t.>  Xapoleon.  10!t; 
rescued  royal  familv  of  I'ortu- 
>.'a!,  2t;t;. 

Soult.  Mme.,  n  buhed  hv  Nanohon 
2s.'{.  •  ' 

Soult,  Marshal,  at  flm,  HIO;  at 
tlio  Battle  of  Austcrlit/,  inO- 
201;  his  antecedents,  247,  24.''; 
at  Waterloo,  4.'i."). 
Spain,  her  s.'cret  transfer  of 
l-ouisiana  to  Napoleon,  14;J:  her 
royal  family  dethroned  hy  Na- 
poleon. 2(iti:  her  crown  trans- 
teiTed  to  .Joseph  lionaparte,  2titi, 
-'17;  her  revolution,  2t;7-270. 
Staid,  Mme.  de,  her  dialo^'uc  with 

tlie  First  Consul,  l.");i. 
St.  Cyr.  Mar.iiial,  his  anteicdciits. 

247,  24S. 
St.  Denis.  Nap(deon's  va'et.  hy  the 
deathbed  at  St.  Helena.  47 1";  re- 


INDEX 


iirtin;,'  to  Xa 
.  121);  \vat(h- 
•rs,  l(i:{,  104; 
ain  with  \a- 
isiiiiirin;,'  1ft- 
■  >'M  :  parti'iu 
Id  III  rojjh'iii. 

kin^rdoiii  |,y 
ccivcd  frrand 
■|>ni  hini.  J}.'). 
)st  <if  Xapo- 
Russian  cam- 
(■     Battle    (if 

',  in  the  cam- 
deceived  bv 
3S8;    8tag- 
at    Monte- 
overwhelmed 
Siir     Aiiiir, 

iider  of  Kiifr- 
''^ :  taunt  ins: 
t     KurDinan 

lllll'on,      lii:i; 

y   of    I'ortu- 

y  Xapniion, 

111,  ion;  at 
rrlit7,  mo- 
',   247,   24S; 

ransfrr  nf 
in,  14.'J;  iirr 
led  by  Xa- 
own  trans- 
i parte,  2()ti, 
2ti7-270. 
ilogue  with 

.nteccdfiits. 

I'.'t,  by  thr 
a.  471";  rr 


.124 


""■""'    '"   M     Ibb^na    to   ..s,..,rt 
Nape, bun's  bnily   to    Ki-iiiic..,  4>:., 

tit;, 
^t.    Helena,  propo^rd   by    1',,//,,  ,ij 
IJorjro  as   pbi,-,.  ,,i    ,.\iir   t,.r-   Nn- 

polion,   411  ;    ciiiiMll    1;,    tb.-    lb  it 

isb      ministry,     4.").'>,     4.'")il;      ,b- 
si  ribcd.  4.").s.    ,.")ll. 
St«i«)c,   Dr.,   reinovi-d    from    Xap.. 
b'on's    hoiiseiiold    ut    Lon-wood 
fds. 

•^tnrnier,  Baron,  Austrian  eomtnis- 

sioner  at  St.   Helena.  4(i(i, 
•^'i.lu.t.    Marshal,    bis    ante.  ,.,I,.nts 

-H:,   21S. 
Suez  Canal,  Xapolcon's  project  for 
its  eonstructi.m   vetoed  by  engi- 
neers,  88.  "^ 
."^wi'den,  Xapnl.on  and  Czar  deter- 
mined to  close  her  ports  a^ain.st 
Kn-hind,     2-^4;     Xaj.oleon     con- 
sented to  IJiissia  takin.i:  Finland 
from     her,    245;     Xapobcn     an- 
nexed      Swedish       I'omni.rania. 
■-'I;    Bernadotte   chosen    leir    to 
ber    throne,    .■)23,    321;    annexed 
Norway,  3S4. 
^nt/erland,  her  confederation   re- 
modelled  h-^    .Vapnleon,    179. 

Tnine.  Henri,  -ii  Xapnicnn.  2t';o. 

I'illcyrand,  Cbarlc*  Maurice,  dis- 
"lis.sfd  by  Napoleon,  2(51  ;  his  re- 
tort to  him,  2SS;  his  frross  in- 
sult, 317:  leader  in  the  Bourbon 
restoration,  .'iil.l;  wisliecl  to  re- 
move X'apolcon   from   Kllia,  411. 

nisit,  Kast  r-us.sia,  Peace  of 
2:!S-24o, 

l''l-*<oi.  Co.int  Leo,  on  Xapoleon 
in  .Mosco  ,-,  344:  on  the  retreat 
"f  the    ,-'r.>ncb,   ,i.")l. 

i'"lbin,    Franee.    Sie;je   of,    32-31. 

Ii-afalixar.  Spain.  Battle  of,  \u\. 
Inrkey,    Xapoleon     chosen    t,i    in 
struct    her    army,    3.");    nominal 


rubr  .,f  Ff.npt,  80;  declared  war 
on  Franee.  8!(;  her  partiti,m  <iis- 
'ii^scd  by  .Vnpoleon  and  Alex- 
ander at  Tilsit,  240.  241. 

rim,    Wiirteniber',',    Campai.'u    of 
184-102. 

I'nited  States,  its  treatv  with  Xa- 
poh'on  in  FSdl),  143;  purchase  o' 
Louisiana,  14.3-14.;;  its  ih^  the 
refuj:,,.  of  commerce  in  Xai.ole- 
onic  wars,  204;  injuries  to  its 
shipj)in<r,  205;  Kndiarjro  Act, 
205;  its  ships  admitted  to  i:us- 
sian  ports  in  deli;tncc  of  X;ioo- 
leon,  321. 
Fxbrid-e,  Lord,  retr.'atin-  bcf,)re 
Napoleon,  431,  432. 

^'al.iean,  ,Tean.  tlie  ori-inal  of  the 

charact.r    f.dlowed    Xapoleon    to 

Waterloo,  4211. 
Vanda.nm...  (ieneral.  at  the  Battle 

ot   .Aust.  rlit/,  20],  202. 
^■cniee,    invaded   by    Xapoleon.   53: 

tlic  republie  destrovcd  bv   Xapo- 

Ifon,    70;    ceded    to    Austria    by 

Napoleon,  72;  ceded  to  Xapoleon 

by  Austria,  201. 
Victor,      .Marshal.     ;,t      Batti^     of 

iTJcdland,  237;   in  tb..  cairpair-n 

of  1814,  385. 
Victor  Fn.manuel  II,  at  the  Battle 

of  Solferino,  5ii. 
Vi.toria  of    Fn,i..|and.    pr.s.ntf.d   to 

iTan.-e  th..  fMn.rai  .^ir  of  \ap„- 

Icon   at   St.    Il..l,na.   4S7 
Vi.tnKili.   Fatb.T,  ,m,.  of  Xap(d..on's 

Pn.sts  at  St.  Il.d,.na,  4i;;t;  ,,rav- 
"M'  I'y  the  d.albb,.d,  471. 

Wa-ram.    .\ustria,   Battl,.  of    -^78 
2711.  ' 

Waleu-ska,   .M,„e..  prcsente.1  a  son 
to  Xapoleon,  2ilO. 


324 


INDEX 


Wiilruski,  Cmint,  son  of  \apnl,(jn 
2!)(). 

\Vasiiinf,'ton,  Ocorpo,  iiiourniiiL:  for 
his  death  ordered  by  Napohon, 
IK);  liis  hio^riipliy  read  l/v  liiii: 
on   thi'  HtlUr„),huii,    l.')4, 

Waterh)o,  Helj:ium,  Hattle  of,  4;i2- 
■14t;:    its  elfeet,   44s.   441). 

Weliinjrton,  Duke  of,  at  iiiilitarv 
school  in  I'raiiee,  2(1;  his  ('ani- 
paijjn  in  Portu^ral,  2(iS :  fooled 
liy  Xapohon  in  the  niiridred 
Days.  42S:  his  army,  42!t ;  at 
the  Diicliess  of  Pichniond's  hall, 
■4^!':  at  tlie  Hatth'  of  Quatre 
fii-as.  4:{(l:  at  th,.  liattle  of 
Waterloo,  4;!2-44<!:  ,  ,,unse||e(i 
moderation  to  BluLber,  4,50. 


Whitv  th,  Lord,  in  a  stor 
Hci'ne  with  Xa[)ole(]n.   ISO. 

Uilliani  I,  German  Kmperor  a 
son  of  Louise,  22!) ;  at  the  to 
"f  ills  mother,  24t). 

William  II,  German  Km|)eror, 
Tilsit,  23!);  dedieated  nionun'i, 
on      the     hattlelield     of      |,ei,K 

.■i77. 

Wnrniser,  Marshal,  in  oonimand 
an  Austrian  army  a^'ainst  N 
poleon,  54:  defeated  hy  Nap 
hon  at  CastiL'Iione,  .-)(',;  defeat, 
in  the  Tyrol  and  retired  i 
to  -Mantua,  ">(;■.  his  surrend, 
(12. 

Wiirtetiiljrr;:,  raised  to  a  kingdo: 
by  Napoleon,  ili. 


PRINTED    IS    IHK    UNITED    STATES    OF   AMERICA 


in     a     stnrijiv 
im,  1H(». 
Knipcror    iui.l 
:   at  the  toiiih 

Kiii[)(Tor,  at 
i«'d  iiionuiiii  lit 
1     of     l.cip^i,. 

1  coiiimund  uf 
af,'aiiist    Na- 

I'd  l)y  \a|Mi- 
■">'i;  di'fi-atrd 

'    ri'tirrd    in- 

is    surrender, 

o  a  kin<'doiii 


TpHE     following     pages    contain    advertisements    of 
books     V  the  same  author  or  on  kindred  subjects. 


BY  THE  SAME  AUTHOR 


1  neodore  Roosevelt :  The  Boy  and  the  Man 

Red  doth,  ^lU  top,  !jmo,3oo  pairi,  a  -.J  inJtx,  iUustrated,  $/.j, 


WHAT   REVIEWERS   SAY 

"The  uloal  biography  of  Roosevelt."  -  .^>^i-  Vor^-  Times 
Rcviczv  of  Books. 

"  iMr.  Alurcran  has  rendered  timely  and  vahiable  services, 
.  .  .  He  has  made  his  central  character  vivid  and  real."  — 
SV.  /.,  ,7/.s-  (ilohc-DoHocrat. 

"Considered  merely  ;.s  a  piece  of  juvenile  literature  it  is  a 
capital  piece  of  work,  a  record  of  adventure,  daring,  and 
achievement  told  uith  all  the  glamour  of  romance.'  —.Vrw 
York  Conimcrcial. 

"The  chapters  devoted  to  Roose' jlt's  Western  life  arc 
particularly  full  and  satisfactory."  —  /,',;,/,;;/  BHti-et. 

"To  know  Roosevelt  through  the  medium  of  Mr.  Morgan'r, 
book  is  to  know  him  in  the  ligh^  which  he  himself  would 
c\\OG?>Ktr  —  Philadelphia  North  Amcriean. 

"  The  book  can  go  into  home  or  school  North  or  South, 
without  the  possibility  of  offence.  ...  It  is  especially  tonic 
for  high  scho<;l  youth  and  college  young  men.  I  doubt  if 
any  book  has  been  written  that  will  do  as  much  for  students 

as  will  this  story  of  a  real  life Jkiy  it.  read  it,  .  .  .  and 

tell  others  to  read  W  —  Journal  of  Education. 


THE    MACMIT.LAN   COMPANY 

Publishes  64  to  Fifth  Avenue  New  York 


Un 


litrtiteJ,  $/.jo 


irk    Times 


'.  services. 
1  real."  — 


jre  it  is  ;i 
ring,  and 
r  —  Ncw 

I   life  arc 

M  organ 'r, 

:lf   would 

^r  South, 
illy  tonic 
doubt  if 
students 
.  .  .  and 


Abraham  Lincoln :  The  Boy  and  the  Man 


Bv  JAMKS   MORGAN 

With  many  interesting  portraits  and  other  illustrations 
many  of  them  secured  for  the  book  from  private  collection's 

Cloth,  $f.jo 

You  may  already  know  the  great  events  of  Lincoln's  life 
but  you  will  still  fmd  this  simple,  clear,  straightlorward  st.-rv 
"t  the  early  hard  work,  the  slow  study  for  the  practice  of  law 
the  suigle-minded  stand  "  for  the  Union,"  and  the  brave  quic^ 
facing  of  every  difficultv,  the  most  fascinating  record  of  any 
human  lite  which  vou  have  known. 


The  C^nca^>  Tribune  says  of  it  editorially:  -It  tells  the  life  storv  well 
It  .s  .„„rest,ng.  It  is  well  written.  It  gives  the  signhicunt  facts  one 
wants  to  know. 

••No  young  man  can  read  Mr.  Morgan's  vulunie  without  h-.-.rnin.^  to  love 
i.u,co]n  for  his  homely  honesty  and  noI,ie  ideals,  and  feeling  the  a-he  in 
he  throat  that  the  whole  nation  felt  on  the  day  of  his  tragic  passin<. -_ 
Chicago  Record  I h-rald.  ^  c  passin.^.    _ 

"Mr  Morg,an  is  much  more  than  .a  faithful  ,„mpilrr.  He  has  points  of 
v=ew  of  h,s  own.  and  seizes  with  ind.v.dual  judgment  upon  the  tacts  worth 
u  II lie.    —  Literary  Digest. 

.he  subject  which  have  appeared  in  recent  years."  - /,■„./„;,  Trars.ript. 

••Mr  Morgan's  book  is  most  attracdvely  written,  and  unremittinglv  en- 
k'ages  interest  and  attention."  _  Philadeipkui  Press. 

".A  masierly  composition  ...  a  volume  that  ought  to  be  in  ever- 
American  home."-PKoi.EssoH  Shepakoso.v,  Chicago  University.  ' 


THE   MACMILLAN   COMPANY 

PnbUgherg  64-66  Fifth  Avenue  New  York 


The  Life  Work  of  Edward  A.  Mosele^ 
in  the  Service  of  Humanity 


Bv  JA.MI'.S  MuRG.W 


Chlh,  Szo,  >j.o 

This  i,s  the  story  ,.t  a  .government  offirial  who  (|uietlv  tunic, 
uiiat  might  have  l.een  a  routine  ta^k  iiUo  a  uohle  service  or 
hchalf  of  his  fellou-men.      I'duanl  A.  Moseley  was  Secrctar; 
of   the    Interstate   Lonuneree   Lonimi>sion    from   its   organisa- 
tion in   iS<^7  niUil  his  <leatli  in    i<,ii.     During  these  yt\ars  he 
was  ever  tlie  champion  of  laws  whiel,  had   for  tiieir  purpose 
the  promotion  of  safety,  ju^tiee  and  peace  on  the  railroads 
of  the  United  States.     A>  a  pioneer  in  an  important  field  of 
ameliorative   legislation   his  work  and  his   papers  deserve  the 
attention  of  tliose  who  are  interested  in  the  development  of 
the  federal  power  as  a  regulative  agency.     The  narrative  and 
the   documents  of   his   long  and   successful   endeavour  he  fore 
Congress  and  in  the  courts  are  significant  material  for  an  open- 
ing chapter  in  the  history  of  the  supervision  hy  the  nation  of 
interstate  affairs. 


"Deeply  interesting."— .V,':^'  York  Times. 

"  A  well-executed  piece  of  work."—  77;, •  Dial. 


THE  MACMILLAX  COMPAXY 

Publishers;  64-66  Fifth  Avenue  New  York 


/loseley 


'jlli,  Szo,  t^.oo 

:\\\  turiKil 
service  on 
Secretary 
organisa- 
;  years  lie 
ir  |>nrpose 
railroads 
It  field  uf 
■serve  the 
ipnient  of 
■ative  and 
11  r   jjefure 
■  an  open- 
nation  of 


Important    New    Works    of    Biography 

Henry  Codman  Potter.  Seventh  Bishop  of  New  York. 

l:v  (,i:()R(i|.;  lioDGES 

_.'^  -'■'';■  -our..  ..f,.a,ineati,.„u,,;.l,op'?oUc;;^^^^^ 
ne,.sU.earnU,:.U,eprepara,.,,nofU,eok-,ar^^^^^^^ 
•/Hr.       otter   has    been    entrusted    ,o    l).,n,    Hodges   of    ,l,e 
Episcopal      Iheologiral     Shool       I,,,,  ''"g<-S   oi    the 

:    Im-t  ■   t       ■  ,  •  "K'ol-     1-ong    ei^nversant    w  th    the 

Hge  e..en„al.  „>  ];,•.  Vuu.r.  Uu,  hi,  training  and  svnipa  tv 
:'ve  been  such  a.  to  <,ual,fy  Inn,  to  do  the  U  ud  '  T  e 
.';..-aphy   that   he   has   written   clescribes   Dr.    I'ottJ,^     cat!' 

-..J^^out  his  n,,n.try,  esp^ciallv  as  rector  of  (>acea:d^ 
'  '  as  i.hop  of  N.w  ^ork.  The  great  public  services  of 
'■>^l>np   l>otter  are  al>o  dealt    with   at   length 

I  The  Life  of  Clara  Barton. 

I  l!v   I'KRCV  fl.  KIT.ER 

I       J;-m  the  wealth  of  material  at  his  dispoS' nrF.r  h';: 
me  a  most   fascinating  hiographv.     Miss   nanon's 'lill 

..  vast  arra>   ot   tacts  .Irawn  troni  diaries,  correspondence  -uul 
-ports  of   lectures  and   addre.ses.      It   has   1 J  ^f,;: 

••-f-as.sposs,hletoletMissl;art,,ntellherowLtLry:; 
-I.  Ic  ooes  by  nieans  of  direct  .piotations   from  her  wri  ^ 
^^^'^.      I  he  result  is  a  vuid  picture  of  a  woman  whose  passion 
u.  hutmn,  y  was  so  great  that  even  though   she  was  ei-ditv 
uars   old   she   wc.n   "to   the   front"   at   the^,eginning  c^f^ 
I-anish    Uar.     U.r    whole    retnarkable    career    is    reviewed 
-m  her  school  teaching  days  through  the  battlefiel.ls  of  tlie 
vil     \ar.  of  the   Franco-Prussian   War  and  of  the  Spanish 
\Ur,  to  her  death  in   loj,.  ^ 


THE  MACMILLAX  COMPAXV 

Publishers  s^-6G  Fifth  Avenue  New  York 


Important  New  Works  of  History 

History  of  the  Norwegian  People. 

Uv   K.M'T   (,   l-,USi;i'.    i'li.D..   l'r()!\-'.or  nf    Xnrwcgiaii 
Language,  l.iui.iiiMi.- ;iii(!  I  !!.;>,!;.  in  I  .mlicr  College. 

tl"lli,  i';.i,   Hiustratcd,     In   two  vulutm 

This  is  a  Iii-tury  of  Xorway  troiii  tlic  earliest  times  to  the  jirescir 
in  uhiiii  tlir  aii'hor  shows  the  soi-ial  ami  ruhuiMl  growth  of  th 
nation  as  well  as  its  economic  and  pohtical  <leveio|inuiit.  In  tli 
first  vokinie  lie  traces  tlie  orij,'iii  and  early  years  of  the  race  aiv 
its  progress  as  a  united  and  sea-faring  pcoi)le.  Fie  describes  in  ai 
interesting;  way  the  i\v^•\^  and  permanent  influence  which  the  Norse 
men  cxertrd  on  Sroiland  tlirunj^h  their  extensive  coloni>ation  ther 
— their  sclllenKiifs  in  l'".nj,dand,  and  ilie  iiart.-,  ihr\  lia\c  i)layed  ii 
luiglish  commerce,  their  ucciii)aiioii  of  Ireland  and  llu  fate  of  thei 
colonies  on  the  adjacent  islands.  In  ihr  Mcond  \olnnie  lie  treat 
of  the  decline  after  the  first  jieriod  of  national  ,l;reatnes^,  the  ris' 
ol  ihe  Xorvvegiaii  democracy  and  the  new  dcvclopinem  niidcr  tlv 
national  constitution  after  1S14.  A  iirii  f  cliai)ttr  regarding  Nor 
wegian  inmiigration  to  America  and  the  life  of  the  Xurwegian  peo 
f)le  in  this  country  is  rise  included. 

Economic  Origins  of  Jeffersonian  Democracy. 

iW  LliAkl.i:S   A.   ni'lARl),  Aiitlu.r  ui   •'An   j-xononiic 
Iiiter])rctalioii  of  the  United  States,"  etc. 

Cloth,    8: 

The  finhlication  of  Professor  Picard's  Economic  Interpretation  o, 
llii  Constititlion  two  years  at;o  marked  tlu'  hi  inning  of  a  nev 
period  in  historical  writings  on  American  ijoliiics.  The  funda 
mental  conclusions  of  that  volume  ha\e  heen  accepted  in  the  latcs 
hi-tnrical  work  covering  the  period  nf  the  formation  of  the  Con 
stitution. 

The  new  \-iTliime  on  JelTcrsonian  democrat- v  is  a  fresh  trcatnieir 
of  the  period  from  the  formation  of  the  Constitution  to  the  estab- 
lishmen'  of  Jelfersonian  democracy  in  power.  It  brings  togetliei 
for  the  flrst  time  the  economic  elements  in  the  party  conflict  nti' 
treats  that  contlict  as  growing,  in  the  main,  out  of  the  antagunisii 
between  rising  cai)italisni  and  agrarianism. 

THE  MAfMTLLAX  COMPAXY 

Publishers  64-66  Fifth  Avenue  New  York 


itory 


Trwcgian 
ollcgc. 

n  two  volumes 

llu'  ])rcs(.iii. 
lutli  di"  tiu- 
lit.  Ill  till' 
le  rai'i'  ami 
cribcs  ill  an 
I  the  Norse- 
sation  tlicre 
c  played  in 
:alc  oi  tlicir 
ic  Ik-  irr.iis 
;ss,  the  rise 
t  under  the 
irdiiiv,'-  N'nr- 
rtegian  peu- 


conomic 

Cloth.    S:o 

Prctatioii  of 
J  ()t  a  new 
rile  funda- 
11  the  latest 
)f  the  I'l lu- 
ll treatment 
)  the  estab- 
Ejs  tofTftlier 
rontiirt  aii'l 
antasjonism 


1^ 


ork 


(I 


